《I Play the Horror World as a Simulation Game》
Chapter 1: Horror Game, Coach Bus Plunges into River!
"Yesterday, in thetest round of the Horror Game, the yer ''Gin''pleted 10 D-level tasks and 2 C-level tasks, performing exceptionally well and finishing the game. He obtained three ''Horror Level'' ghost creatures and was immediately recruited by the state to be a Ghost Controller."
"Since the Global Horror Game descended, it has been two years. This is the 13th Ghost Controller in Dragon Country to be directly recruited by the state afterpleting the game..."
Inside the stuffy school bus, Qin Nuo sat with his eyes closed, listening to the news broadcast on the radio, feeling a bit impatient. "Can you turn it off?"
No one paid him any attention.
The students in the bus were chatting andughing, their conversations mostly revolving around this piece of news.
"I really envy those people. How do theyplete tasks in such terrifying environments? If it were me, just standing up with weak knees would be a problem."
"They must have incredibly strong minds, risking their lives for the rewards. How can wepare?"
"We''re almost there, right? Once we turn eighteen, we all have to enter the Horror Game at least once. Just thinking about it scares me."
"What''s there to be afraid of? Last year, a newbie who just turned eighteenpleted three F-level tasks and got rewards. Aftering out, wealthy people were scrambling to buy his rewards. I heard he sold them for a hundred million, and now he doesn''t have to worry for the rest of his life!""If we work hard, maybe we won''t have to worry in our next life either," one student said excitedly.
"Idiot, if you think like that, don''t expect toe back alive!"
"In that Horror Game, over fifty students went in, and only about twenty came back alive. Plus, more than ten were scared into having heart attacks."
"The only one who got a reward was just incredibly lucky and drew the simplest task."
"For those going in for the first time,"
"Don''t think about anything else. Justing back alive is the best!" said a boy with a middle parting, leaning against the window coldly.
His words frightened quite a few students.
The counselor quickly reassured them, "Don''t be afraid, everyone. The mortality rate in the Horror Game was indeed quite high a year ago, but now, with national involvement, the difficulty of the Horror Game has decreased.
Especially for first-time yers, there is a protection mechanism. As long as you reach that mechanism, even if you die in the game, you can safely return to the real world."
These words reassured everyone a bit.
Indeed.
Last month, two groups of newbies entered the game for the first time, and most of them came back alive.
Moreover, a few evenpleted tasks!
However, some still died.
"Qin Nuo, after this trip, let''s find a time to sign up,"
"Otherwise, if we''re forced into the Horror Game, it''ll be toote," said a bespectacled, schrly-looking boy.
Tang Ming, one could say, was the only close friend of Qin Nuo, who had a very low presence in the ss.
Signing up online for the Horror Game and being forced into it are different.
The former allows for a protection mechanism under national intervention. As long as you reach the mechanism, if you''re killed by a ghost in the game, you''ll return to reality alive.
It''s equivalent to just being eliminated.
Thetter, being forced, says it all.
yers forced into the game have no national protection mechanism, and whether you''re a newbie or a veteran, you''re treated the same.
Simply put, as a Bronze yer, you might get matched into a Challenger Tier Match!
"Why panic? I''ll sign up with you once I finish my business," Qin Nuo yawned.
"You mean looking for your parents? Any leads?" Tang Ming asked.
Qin Nuo nodded.
A year ago, his parents mysteriously disappeared.
Qin Nuo suspected his parents were forced into the Horror Game.
But after police investigation, no traces of his parents entering the Horror Game were found.
This year, Qin Nuo had neglected his studies to investigate his parents'' whereabouts.
If not for his sister''s insistence, Qin Nuo would have dropped out long ago.
A year without any clues left Qin Nuo disheartened.
Even if his parents entered the Horror Game, noting out for a year meant they were likely...
Tang Ming worried that Qin Nuo''s continued investigation would lead to problems, so he signed him up for a tour group to take a break.
Qin Nuo, lost in thought,
Didn''t notice Tang Ming''s strange expression after speaking...
Screech!!
At that moment, the school bus suddenly veered off course, nearly crashing into the roadside barrier, but fortunately, the driver corrected the steering in time.
Everyone was startled, and two students were thrown to the floor.
"Driver, what''s going on?"
The students were terrified.
The driver clutched his heart, forcing a smile. "It''s nothing, just felt a sudden pain in my heart."
Just as he finished speaking, the driver suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood and copsed onto the steering wheel.
Before anyone could react, the coach bus veered off course again, broke through the concrete barrier, and plunged off the overpass into the river below...
On the overpass, everyone was stunned.
"Hello, is this 110? There''s been an ident on Jinzhou Bridge, a coach bus fell into the river!"
Many people gathered at the bridgehead and riverbank, constantly making phone calls.
There were dozens of lives on that bus!
Rescue teams quickly arrived, diving into the river to save people and retrieve the bus.
The bus was soon lifted out of the water by a crane, but eerily, it was empty.
Rescue boats searched the river for a long time, eventually recovering the bodies of the driver and the counselor.
All 45 students on the bus had vanished!
***
At that moment.
In another world.
The air was filled with a foul stench of blood and decay.
Qin Nuo and his ssmates groggily awoke to find themselves in a sealed room.
"Wee, yers, to your first entry into the Horror Game. Let me briefly introduce the rules."
"Based on the game''s theme, you''ll be transported to the corresponding location. ording to your roles, you''ll provide services to the guests."
Note: The customer is always right. Do not show a bad attitude to the guests, or they might take something from you, like your eyeballs, tongue, or even your life~
"The gamests for seven days. During this time, it''s crucial to coexist peacefully with the guests. Whilepleting tasks, please also strive to survive."
"After the game ends, rewards will be evaluated based onpleted tasks and performance during the role."
"This Horror Game''s theme is¡ªNether Springs Restaurant."
A mysterious voice echoed in the room.
It rattled the nerves of all the students.
In an instant, everyone was stunned.
Qin Nuo''s expression froze as well.
They had been forced into the Horror Game...
Chapter 2: Nether Springs Restaurant, now open for business!
"Well then, good luck to all of you."
The cold voice faded, and before anyone could react, the scene before their eyes blurred.
Then, Qin Nuo found himself in avishly decorated hall, with no trace of his ssmates.
A massive diamond chandelier, a staircase lined with red carpet, and exquisite European-style decor all indicated this was a high-end restaurant.
And it was quite spacious; Qin Nuo was only in one corner, and the rest of his ssmates were likely scattered in other parts of the restaurant.
"Hint: The restaurant will open in fifteen minutes. Please find a suitable uniform in the storage room."
(When working, please dress neatly. Otherwise, a sloppy server might affect the restaurant''s reputation.)
"Warning: Without absolute psychological resilience and sufficient strength, do not venture above the second floor of the restaurant."
"The guests there are difficult to serve. If you fail to serve them well, you might end up eating something other than the restaurant''s food.""Hint: The restaurant operates under the principle that the customer is king. However, you may encounter some unreasonable guests who damage the restaurant''s reputation. yers can discipline them appropriately."
Discipline.
Are they sure it''s not a death wish?
In a horror game, what else could the guests be but ghosts? It''s not worth risking your life to maintain the restaurant''s reputation.
In this situation, Qin Nuo''s calmness wasn''t due to strong psychological resilience but because he had undergone extensive psychological counseling for horror games before.
Although the other ssmates were scared, they should be able to calm down andplete their tasks.
Fear equals waiting for death.
Being honest andpleting the work properly is the only way to survive.
"The immersion is deep; I''m already a server!"
Qin Nuo muttered as he rushed towards the innermost storage room.
On the way, the surroundings were empty but very tidy, as if they had just been cleaned.
Upon reaching the storage room, he opened the door, and a stuffy heat hit him in the face.
Inside, there was a jumble of items. Lifting a panel, he found a tangled mess of hair underneath, covered in blood, with a piece of bloody scalp attached.
Suppressing his nausea, Qin Nuo retrieved a server''s uniform from inside.
It was a standard restaurant suit.
The only downside was the foul stench of decay andrge bloodstains on it!
"Wearing this for a day, I might end up vomiting stomach acid."
But there was no choice; he had to wear it.
The restaurant''s reputation was important.
"Open the information panel."
Putting on the suit, enduring the sticky sensation, Qin Nuo spoke.
Every yer in the game had their own information panel, which, besides their physical attributes, allowed them to check their tasks.
yer: Qin Nuo.
Strength: 20.
Speed: 30.
Ghost Power: 0.
Ghost Creature: None.
Skills: Demon¡¯s Eye, Angel¡¯s Kiss, Eye of Analysis.
Level: 1/10.
"Huh??"
Never mind the Ghost Power and Ghost Creature, why do I have skills and levels?
Qin Nuo was stunned. During his previous counseling, it seemed that no one else had these two items on their panel.
"Did the information panel upgrade?"
Qin Nuo clicked on Demon¡¯s Eye to see the details.
Demon¡¯s Eye: By absorbing the opponent''s negative emotions, such as Rage Meter, you can receive random rewards. The size of the reward matches the intensity of the negative emotions. (Provided by the Beginner''s Gift Pack)
Angel¡¯s Kiss: By absorbing the opponent''s positive emotions, such as Favorability, you can receive random rewards. The size of the reward matches the intensity of the positive emotions. (Provided by the Beginner''s Gift Pack)
Eye of Analysis: By focusing your gaze, you can specte on ghostly intentions and analyze the use of ghost creatures. (Provided by the Beginner''s Gift Pack)
"So, by affecting the ghost''s emotions, I can receive random rewards?"
Qin Nuo suddenly realized this might be his own Golden Finger.
These two things in a horror game felt like a cheat, didn''t they?
Qin Nuo didn''t think much about it and turned to leave the stuffy storage room.
There were still five minutes left.
Returning to the hallway of the main hall, Qin Nuo saw someone.
It was a ssmate, the English ss representative, Li Siruo.
Qin Nuo was about to greet her.
But when she saw him, she hurriedly turned her face away, looking tense, and continued pushing a serving cart forward, also having changed into a restaurant uniform.
"What does this mean?" Qin Nuo was puzzled.
After Li Siruo turned the corner, Qin Nuo suddenly noticed a faint shadow closely following her.
"Already dealing with ghosts so quickly?"
Despite his surprise, Qin Nuo had no time to worry about others and quickly rushed back to the entrance of Restaurant No. 3.
Back in the main hall, two people were waiting.
"Wang Yang, Liu Jiaqi?"
The man and woman were also surprised to see Qin Nuo.
"Looks like we were all assigned to Hall No. 3."
"Are the other ssmates also servers?" Qin Nuo asked.
They were in Restaurant No. 3, and there were a total of nine, showing howrge this restaurant was.
Moreover, they were only responsible for the dining on the first floor.
"Not just servers, the restaurant has servers, greeters, cashiers, janitors, and chefs, the five most basic positions, assigned to our entire ss."
"The three of us are servers, responsible for delivering menus and dishes," Liu Jiaqi exined to Qin Nuo, hugging her shoulders and looking around uneasily.
Wang Yang nced at Qin Nuo but said nothing, subtly distancing himself by a step.
He felt this rash youth who knew nothing would die sooner orter, and he didn''t want to get involved and be dragged down.
"Liu Jiaqi, that foolish woman, thinks kindness will be rewarded? If you exin things to him, he''ll definitelye to you for help next time he''s in trouble."
"You''ll regret it then!" Wang Yang thought to himself, but didn''t say it out loud.
Silence is not only golden, it also keeps trouble at bay.
Ding ding!!
The bell on the door rang, and the three immediately perked up.
It was time,her Springs Restaurant was officially open for business!
The ss doors opened automatically, and a bone-chilling wind blew in from the pitch-ck night outside.
Qin Nuo and the others shivered with goosebumps.
Outside, shadows loomed.
In their ears, eerie sounds lingered, sending chills down their spines.
It was as if something was perched on their shoulders, whispering and sobbing in their ears...
"The restaurant''s business is booming; as soon as the doors opened, it was packed with customers outside."
Qin Nuo looked at those things, uneasily pulling up the corners of his mouth, half-jokingly.
Chapter 3: Steamed Poison Human Brain, reward Red Dragon!
Qin Nuo''s words might have been an attempt to lighten the mood, but the tense Wang Yang and Liu Jiaqi didn''t respond.
The guests outside the door entered.
Vague, indistinct shadows took their seats at the dining table.
It didn''t seem that scary after all.
Wang Yang and Liu Jiaqi both secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Rat, you''re in the way."
A dull voice came from behind, making their hair stand on end.
Liu Jiaqi turned around and nearly fainted.
In front of them stood a person who seemed to have been cut into pieces and sewn back together with needle and thread. Two human heads were sewn onto its neck, one with its skin peeled off, a bloody mess.The other head was missing half its skull, its brain exposed to the air, with blood vessels clearly visible.
The three quickly stepped aside, their hearts pounding.
"Rat" was their term for humans, likening them to despised creatures that everyone wanted to kill.
More terrifying ghosts continued to enter, some with their stomachs hollowed out and intestines hanging outside, others with faces devoid of features, just mouths...
"You have been assigned to serve Table 4. Complete the customer''s needs, achieve an average rating, andplete three orders to finish the F-level task!"
In the game, tasks are divided into five levels: A, B, C, D, and F.
Afterpleting a task, there are five ratings: terrible, unsatisfactory, average, satisfactory, and very satisfactory.
Achieving satisfactory or very satisfactory ratings earns a random reward.
Terrible or unsatisfactory ratings result in punishment.
Qin Nuo noticed Wang Yang and Liu Jiaqi looking a bit distracted, realizing they had also received tasks.
Wang Yang: "I''ve been assigned to Table 10."
Liu Jiaqi: "I''ve been assigned to Table 6."
Qin Nuo touched his nose: "Table 4, good luck to everyone."
At the corner table, there was only one guest, wrapped entirely in bandages, with dark blood seeping through.
On the table, there was also a bouquet of roses.
The empty seat opposite had tea, suggesting it was waiting for another guest.
"Guest, may I ask what you need?" Qin Nuo approached and asked politely.
The rotten restaurant uniform, though filthy and foul-smelling, was a lifeline. Wearing it marked you as a restaurant employee, and generally, ghosts wouldn''t harm you.
The Bandage Ghost didn''t speak, pushing the menu over with its selected dishes.
"Steamed Poison Human Brain."
"Alright, please wait a moment." Qin Nuo took the menu, nodded slightly, and left.
At the neighboring table, Liu Jiaqi was wide-eyed in shock at Qin Nuo''s service attitude.
Her guest was a ghost with a chest split open, protruding ribs resembling the Mouth of the Abyss, and even its internal organs visible, making her face pale with fear.
Following the instructions, Qin Nuo reached the kitchen.
It was more of a ughterhouse than a kitchen.
Bloody corpses were thrown onto chopping boards, the sound of chopping meat making one''s scalp tingle.
Approaching a chef, Qin Nuo handed over the menu: "Table 4 guest, one order of Steamed Poison Human Brain."
The chef was a ghost with features twisted like a pretzel. It stared at the menu, then at Qin Nuo, and spoke in a sinister voice: "We''re out of human brains, use yours!!"
Qin Nuo remained calm.
Seeing Qin Nuo unfazed, the chef was somewhat surprised, snatching the menu with a malicious look.
Qin Nuo appeared calm on the surface, but his heart was racing.
Some ghosts with employee status in the restaurant harbored hostility towards human temps, but due to the restaurant''s rules, they couldn''t harm humans, only intimidate them for some thrill.
This reaction left the Chef Ghost dissatisfied.
Qin Nuo remembered one thing: as long as he did his job honestly, there wouldn''t be any danger.
The dish was soon ready.
"Done."
A ck y pot was ced on the counter, and Qin Nuo picked it up to leave, avoiding any trouble from the Chef Ghost.
But halfway there, Qin Nuo, to be safe, opened the y pot, holding back his nausea to look.
"Ding, skill Eye of Analysis triggered."
"Eye of Analysis: Sadly, he didn''t hold on until his girlfriend returned, being painfully cut open by a thug."
"Human skin is what he hates the most, reminding him of that painful memory."
"Why add a few pieces of human skin inside? To make it taste better, or for another reason?"
Seeing the Eye of Analysis prompt, Qin Nuo''s face darkened.
That chef was indeed up to no good, adding human skin to the Steamed Poison Human Brain to frame him!
What to do?
If he delivered it, the Bandage Ghost would tear him apart upon seeing the human skin!
If he didn''t deliver it, he wasn''t a match for the Chef Ghost!
After a moment of silence, Qin Nuo decisively covered the pot and returned.
"Is there something else in the dish?"
In the kitchen, Qin Nuo ced the y pot back in its original spot.
The chef looked up, its face menacing and terrifying: "You lowly rat, dare to doubt my cooking, tired of living?
I may be lowly, but the guest saw the dish and was furious, saying this is yourst chance. If you can''t make a satisfactory dish, you''ll be eaten!"
Seeing the chef''s face already contorted, Qin Nuo continued: "That''s the esteemed Bandage Lord, personally received by the manager. Can you afford to offend him?"
The chef was very surprised.
Why was it being med?
Shouldn''t it eat this rat first?
But it didn''t dare think too much. In the Horror Kingdom, on the surface, various rules and mechanisms were established, seemingly a civilized nation ofw.
But in reality, in front of truly powerful ghosts, these rules were as fragile as paper.
A restaurant once made dishes that didn''t suit the taste, and that ghost devoured all the ghosts in the restaurant.
If the Bandage Ghost wanted to eat it, the manager wouldn''t stop it, as its dish had issues first.
"Wait."
The chef took back the y pot and soon sent out another dish.
Qin Nuo held it in his hands, coldly scolding: "You scoundrel, next time, I''ll put you on the table!!"
"What did you say?"
The chef''s expression twisted almost upside down, wishing to swallow Qin Nuo whole and chew him up.
"That''s also what the Bandage Lord said!" Qin Nuo left this sentence and walked away.
The chef trembled violently but didn''t dare pounce. It wasn''t sure if those were Qin Nuo''s words or words entrusted by the Bandage Ghost.
"That was thrilling, I actually cursed a ghost." On the way back, Qin Nuo''s heart was still pounding.
Thatst sentence was to vent some anger, but thinking back, it was too risky.
What if it couldn''t hold back and pounced to eat him?
[Demon''s Eye triggered: You sessfully angered the Chef Ghost, earning 3 Red Dragon items!]
"So that''s how the Demon''s Eye works."
Qin Nuo''s eyes lit up, not knowing what this Red Dragon was, but it sounded impressive.
"Extract Red Dragon item."
A warm, heavy object fell into his palm.
Looking down, Qin Nuo was so disgusted he almost threw it away.
Damn it!
It was actually a sanitary pad, and a bloody one at that, utterly disgusting!
Chapter 4: Task completed, selling black money!
"Does this thing work on ghosts?"
Without thinking much, Qin Nuo temporarily ced it in the toolbar, then carried the dish back to the dining table.
"Sir, your dish, please enjoy."
Qin Nuo carefully ced the dish on the table and opened the lid.
The Bandage Ghost looked at the ck, mushy human brain inside, grabbed it with its hand, and stuffed it into its mouth. An unknown liquid sttered all over the table.
Halfway through eating, the Bandage Ghost''s body trembled slightly. It lifted its head, and although its eyes were wrapped in bandages, Qin Nuo could feel its gaze, filled with confusion and sorrow.
Clearly dead, yet always waiting for that girl toe find him...
A piece of currency was pushed forward.
It didn''t look like money, nor like Hell Money.Ghost Currency, the currency of the Horror Game.
As the saying goes, money can make ghosts turn the millstone, and Ghost Currency has many uses. It''s a bridge for trading and interacting with ghosts, especially useful for yers.
Of course, people die for money, and it could also be a source of trouble!
Qin Nuo was slightly stunned.
Was this a tip for him?
Qin Nuo nodded and put the currency away. "Enjoy your meal, sir."
After stepping back, Qin Nuo took out the Ghost Currency again. The value was actually 100.
Definitely a generous tip!
"A tycoon ghost, huh," Qin Nuo clicked his tongue.
"Congrattions onpleting your first dish delivery task. Customer rating: Satisfied."
"For the second task, please proceed to Table 2 to fulfill the customer''s request."
Two more tasks, and today''s mission will beplete. Keep it up. Qin Nuo thought to himself as he walked away.
As he passed through the corridor, he happened to run into Liu Jiaqi, who was holding a dish full of ck eyeballs that blinked.
Judging by her expression, it was clear she was quite frightened.
"Qin Nuo, you finished your first task?" Liu Jiaqi was surprised and envious. If only she had such strong mental resilience.
"Yes, now heading to the second table. What about you?"
"I''m okay. Made some mistakes due to nerves, but the customer was very patient and didn''t me me," Liu Jiaqi said with lingering fear.
"But Wang Yang... when he was serving, a finger identally fell onto the customer''s hand, and that ghost took his right hand!"
"Really, that''s quite unfortunate," Qin Nuo''s expression didn''t change much.
Wang Yang wasn''t close to him, and had even tried to bully Qin Nuo, who had a low presence in ss. Hearing this news, Qin Nuo felt quite calm.
"By the way, where''s Tang Ming?"
"I don''t know, but I ran into Liu Lingling, and she said he seems to be a janitor in charge of the west area."
"And, I heard that being a janitor is even more dangerous than being a server!"
Qin Nuo nodded. "Got it, you take care of your tasks."
Liu Jiaqi hurriedly walked into the restaurant with her dish, still looking timid and uneasy.
Qin Nuo only asked casually. Instead of worrying about Tang Ming, it was better toplete his own tasks first.
The second table''s customers appeared to be a couple.
They sat facing each other, both expressionless, their eyes like dead fish eyes, and their pale skin seemed to be crawling with maggots.
The atmosphere was indescribably eerie.
They ordered Stir-Fried Spicy Penis and Five-Organs Nourishing Soup.
Hearing the word "penis," Qin Nuo''s mouth twitched, thinking of something disgusting. He picked up the dishes and headed to the kitchen.
The chef had changed and wasn''t as malicious as the first one, quickly preparing the dishes and serving them.
The rating was average.
Qin Nuo didn''t mind, as long as it wasn''t a bad review.
The reason so many people received bad reviews was due to excessive nervousness when facing ghosts, leading to frequent mistakes. A bad review was minor; losing one''s life would be a real loss.
Qin Nuo didn''t know why his mental resilience was different from others, perhaps it was innate.
But he had forgotten all memories of his childhood, only knowing he had parents and a sister in college.
With increasingly adept service, he quicklypleted the third table''s serving.
Then, Qin Nuo went to the hall to await the results.
Passing by various ghosts, many cast greedy, bloodthirsty nces at Qin Nuo, but seeing his uniform, they had to retract their gaze, as if looking at a crab with a price tag, bought by someone.
Soon, a bell rang in the restaurant.
The ghosts gradually left, and in the blink of an eye, the restaurant returned to its eerie silence.
Liu Jiaqi and Wang Yang also arrived at the restaurant.
Liu Jiaqi looked as if she had been reborn, tears of excitement almost falling.
Wang Yang, on the other hand, had a gloomy face, mixed with fear.
His right hand was gone, the stump of his right arm was neat, without bandages or bleeding.
The stump looked like a puppet''s limb, disassembled.
"It stuffed my right hand into its stomach and took it away!" Wang Yang''s throat let out a rough, angry roar.
"Look on the bright side, at least it took your hand without pain. Otherwise, in a ce like this, the pain alone could kill you," Qin Nuo nced at him.
Seeing Qin Nuo unharmed, and even able to remain optimistic, Wang Yang was filled with resentment. "Why are youpletely fine?"
"I''m just that good."
Wang Yang''s face turned red with anger, feeling insulted.
A damaged Pinhio puppet walked over, making a ttering sound.
"I''m the supervisor of the Nether Springs Restaurant''s east gate. All three of you performed well today, at least you survived.
3697 performed the best, receiving two satisfied and one average rating, earning the title of Outstanding Employee of the Day. Here''s your reward."
3697 was Qin Nuo''s employee number.
A stack of Ghost Currency appeared in Qin Nuo''s hand, totaling 300!
Liu Jiaqi and Wang Yang also received Ghost Currency, 100 and 20 respectively.
In this game, they would also feel hunger and fatigue. Ghost Currency could get them food, though it wasn''t the only way.
"Thank you for your hard work today. Please follow the instructions to your dormitory for rest. Tomorrow is a new day, keep up the good work!"
With that, Pinhio ttered away.
"I''m so hungry, let''s get something to eat first," Liu Jiaqi said, clutching her stomach with eager eyes.
"There''s a vending machine around the corner, let''s go," Qin Nuo was also hungry. Despite only running three dish deliveries, it felt like a full day''s physicalbor.
In the corridor, the vending machine was a grotesque ghost face, disying the food and prices inside.
"Beef jerky,pressed biscuits, c... they actually have these things?" Liu Jiaqi was drooling, finally seeing something normal in the Horror World.
Qin Nuo bought a piece of beef jerky for 50 Ghost Currency.
Liu Jiaqi bought Fish with Pickled Mustard Greens for 80.
With only a crumpled 20, Wang Yang could only get apressed biscuit.
But when the food came out, the three were dumbfounded.
The beef jerky was a palm-sized piece of moldy rotten meat.
The Fish with Pickled Mustard Greens had a ckish-green broth, and the fish, of unknown type, had fangs.
Only thepressed biscuit seemed normal, but it was only half a palm in size, shrunken.
"Why did it only give 20 back?"
Qin Nuo''s face was grim.
He had inserted a 100 Ghost Currency, but it only returned 20, swallowing 30!
Liu Jiaqi also lost 20.
Not only was the product not as advertised, but it also stole money?
Already in a foul mood from losing a hand, Wang Yang was even more furious seeing the meagerpressed biscuit.
He rushed up and started punching and kicking the vending machine. "You damn thing! Dare to cheat me, I''ll tear you apart!"
The next second, the vending machine suddenly came to life, its ghost face writhing, eyes bloodshot and menacing, ring at Qin Nuo and the others.
"How dare a lowly rat yell at me?"
Chapter 5: Midnights hand, Magical Artifact Red Dragon!
Suddenly, the vending machine came to life, scaring Wang Yang so much that he copsed on the ground, his fierce demeanor vanishing instantly, leaving him speechless with terror.
Thinking about it, it wasn''t surprising. In the Horror World, anything could be a ghost. A vending machine that provides human food¡ªhow could it be normal?
The vending machine bared its teeth but didn''t pounce.
Summoning his courage, Qin Nuo said, "We''re employees of the restaurant. We earned this money. Why are we being treated differently?"
"Having food is already good enough. The rats that came before even begged me for food. What more do you want, you filthy rats?"
"Get lost!"
Liu Jiaqi whispered, "Should we talk to that Pinhio?"
"It won''t help. Let''s go." Qin Nuo didn''t argue. The vending machine ghost wasn''t wrong. In the Horror World, humans were the lowest of the low. Survival was the most important thing.
Of course,That was before gaining strength.
Once he had the power, Qin Nuo would make this damned machine spit out double the food that belonged to him!
"Next time, bring more money. If you have too little, you''ll only get dead rats to eat!"
The meaning was clear. This ghost nned to skim profits from them for the next few days.
Though Qin Nuo and the others were angry, they couldn''t fight the ghost and had to leave.
***
Following the directions, they arrived at the so-called dormitory, a gloomy, pitch-ck building.
In the lobby, a faceless ghost sat at the reception desk, with only a mouth on its face, wearing a sinister smile.
"We''re restaurant employees."
The faceless ghost handed over a key, its eerie voice echoing in their ears: "Don''t go out after midnight. If you open the door and something happens, we won''t be responsible."
Qin Nuo took the key and nodded.
The dormitory had been abandoned for a long time, with signs of decay everywhere. The long corridors were empty, and the end was as dark as an abyss.
The whole building seemed to have over a hundred rooms.
The other ssmates should be here too. Which room was Tang Ming in?
Their room was on the fourth floor, room 404. As they turned the worn-out doorknob, a musty smell hit them.
There was only one bed in the room, which made Liu Jiaqi, the only girl, feel awkward.
"Three people can barely squeeze onto one bed. Of course, if you think men and women shouldn''t be too close, you can sleep on the floor," Qin Nuo said, turning to Liu Jiaqi.
Liu Jiaqi was stunned. Did he say that the wrong way around?
Wang Yang didn''t care much andy down on the bed directly.
Qin Nuo did the same. In the Horror World, where their lives were constantly at risk, who cared about gentlemanly conduct?
The floor was damp and could cause illness, not to mention the unknown bugs. Lying there for a day might not kill you, but it could affect your work the next day, and there''d be no time for regrets.
Liu Jiaqi looked at the floor and reluctantly nodded.
But she didn''t rush to lie down. Instead, she went to the bathroom to freshen up a bit.
Wang Yang took out a pack ofpressed biscuits and started to eat.
Qin Nuo also took out some beef jerky and began to chew.
Staring at the palm-sized piece of beef jerky, Wang Yang felt the biscuit stuck in his throat be tasteless.
"Tear me off a piece, and I''ll return it to you tomorrow!" Wang Yang demanded, his tone slightlymanding.
"I don''t have enough," Qin Nuo replied, but he kept arge piece and stuffed it into his pocket.
"Can''t we help each other out as ssmates?"
"If it were me, would you give it? I''m not a bleeding heart, foolish enough to hand over life-saving food to someone else!" Qin Nuo said.
Wang Yang was infuriated. "Don''t be ungrateful."
"Don''t try to be tough with one hand. Be careful not to lose the other one too!"
Seeing Qin Nuo''s cold smile, Wang Yang''s face twitched slightly.
He suddenly realized that this seemingly dumb guy who had been like a block of wood for two semesters wasn''t someone to be easily bullied!
He suppressed his anger, turned around, and tried to sleep.
In the bathroom, the itchy and sour-smelling body made Liu Jiaqi really ufortable.
The bathroom environment was equally bad, so she quickly wiped herself down and came out.
On the bed, Qin Nuo and Wang Yang were already snoring, sleeping deeply.
Liu Jiaqi had eaten the so-called fish with pickled mustard greens, filled her stomach, and then wrapped herself in a thin nket, lying down next to Qin Nuo.
In the dead of night, a chilly wind blew.
Half-asleep, Qin Nuo seemed to hear some sounds.
Then, it felt like a hand was ced on his leg.
Slowly, the hand started to move upward, bing more and more daring.
Qin Nuo suddenly opened his eyes.
Wang Yang on the left was still sleeping soundly, his snores rising and falling.
Was it Liu Jiaqi''s hand?
Was this girl not sleeping and touching him instead?
Qin Nuo was slightly stunned. Could it be that in this situation, the girl still had such interests?
The hand became even more audacious, directly reaching his crotch.
Qin Nuo sat up abruptly, the bed creaking from his sudden movement.
Wang Yang was startled awake and, seeing Qin Nuo sitting up, grumbled with bedhead, "Are you sleepwalking, damn it?"
Liu Jiaqi rubbed her eyes sleepily, "What''s wrong?"
Qin Nuo looked at her just waking up, "What were you doing just now?"
"Nothing, just sleeping."
Qin Nuo looked at Liu Jiaqi''s hands and suddenly believed her because that hand was still under the nket touching him!
"Damn it!! You have this kind of fetish? Not touching Liu Jiaqi but touching me? Get lost!!"
Wang Yang suddenly pulled out a hand from under the nket, ring at Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo looked at him and then showed his own two hands.
Liu Jiaqi looked at Qin Nuo''s hands, then at the pale hand Wang Yang was holding, her pupils trembling as she covered her mouth tightly.
Wang Yang''s face instantly turned bloodless, holding the hand, unsure whether to throw it away or not.
He gently lifted a corner of the nket, revealing a head with a split skull, the cleaver still lodged in the bone.
"Holy shit!!"
Wang Yang quickly pulled himself out, kicking the nket off the bed, and tossed the severed hand away.
The head rolled out, grinning at the three of them.
How could there be a ghost in the room?
Qin Nuo suddenly remembered the words of the faceless ghost at the dormitory and asked the two, "Did either of you open the door?"
Liu Jiaqi raised her hand and whispered, "I... after eating the fish soup, I threw the trash outside the door, just opened a crack."
"You idiot woman, were you kicked in the head by a donkey?" Wang Yang shouted angrily.
Liu Jiaqi, with red eyes, kept apologizing, shrinking into a corner.
"Hee hee, didn''t you invite me in? Doesn''t seem like you''re very weing...
Then I''ll just eat you all."
The head ghost extended its unusually long tongue, wrapping it around Wang Yang''s foot, who screamed in despair.
Qin Nuo suddenly spoke, "I have something tastier. Do you want it?"
"What?"
Qin Nuo suddenly pulled out a Red Dragon from his inventory and threw it at the ghost''s face.
The blood-stained sanitary pad, like a precious magical artifact, emitted a blinding light.
The head ghost let out a piercing scream, then slowly melted away, instantly turning into a puddle of thick, bloody liquid.
Wang Yang and Liu Jiaqi were dumbfounded.
Was that a sanitary pad?
This guy actually carried a blood-stained sanitary pad with him?
Qin Nuo didn''t care about the looks of disgust from the two,y back down, and said, "Go back to sleep!"
"Sanitary pads have such a use? Liu Jiaqi, do you have any more?" Wang Yang asked excitedly.
"Are you kidding? I didn''t give it to him!" Liu Jiaqi said, both embarrassed and angry.
"If you get one, save one for me!"
"Get lost, disgusting pervert!!"
Chapter 6: Taking liberties, Half-Ghost girl!
The next day.
When the bone-chilling wind swept over him, Qin Nuo woke up immediately, without any trace of grogginess.
The sinisterughter of ghost dolls echoed throughout the room, sending shivers down the spine of anyone who heard it.
That was their rm clock.
The restaurant opened at six.
They had six hours of sleep.
Wearing the foul-smelling work uniform, Qin Nuo endured the difort all over his body, tidied up his clothes, and prepared to set off.
Liu Jiaqi and Wang Yang were also up early.
Wang Yang was muttering something while putting on his clothes with one hand, probably still haunted by yesterday''s mistakes.Liu Jiaqi clutched a ne, praying she could return to sleep tonight.
To be honest, Qin Nuo admired her a bit.
For a girl to hold on until now without breaking down, her mindset was quitemendable.
Soon, the three of them left and arrived at the restaurant.
Pinhio sat slumped in a chair, head tilted, looking like an abandoned puppet.
Then, today''s tasks were announced.
"We''re short-staffed today, the three of you need toplete six orders before you can clock out."
Hearing six orders, their faces turned a bit grim.
The main issue wasn''t the workload; it was the risk of encountering difficult and temperamental customers, which could easily lead to trouble.
Six orders increased that probability!
Why were they short-staffed?
Qin Nuo and the others knew very well.
It wasn''t due to resignations; it was more likely that someone had been eaten or killed by a customer.
***
Nether Springs Restaurant, open for the second day.
Customers continued to pour in.
Phantoms moved about the restaurant, customers sat at tables with vacant expressions, waiting for servers to approach.
Qin Nuo approached the first table, where a ghost with a severely burned face looked up, enough to scare a girl into fainting on the spot.
"What would you like to order?" Qin Nuo asked calmly and politely.
The Burning Ghost slid the selected menu over.
Qin Nuo nced at it and was taken aback.
"Sweet and sour ribs?"
This was actually a normal dish!
Do ghosts eat this kind of thing?
"Please wait a moment."
Qin Nuo took the menu and left.
In the kitchen, the chef nced at the menu and let out a cold snort, seemingly with some disdain.
Then he began to cook.
The dish was ready quickly.
As Qin Nuo took the dish, the chef coldly said, "If you dare to sneak a taste, I''ll cut out your tongue and use it as an ingredient!"
Qin Nuo carried the dish away, hesitated for a moment in the hallway, and activated the Eye of Analysis.
Eye of Analysis: In the final moment of the explosion, he pushed the girl to safety, sacrificing himself and getting burned to death. Though dead, he still remembers the girl liked to make sweet and sour ribs for him, and Tequ was the drink they had when they first met...
"So it''s not food it''s after, but memories." Qin Nuo realized.
Looking at the dish, Qin Nuo suddenly had an idea.
He took a couple of turns, not heading to the restaurant but to the vending machine.
"Human food, disgusting taste!"
The blood-red eyes on the vending machine''s ghost face opened, ring fiercely at Qin Nuo.
"Little rat, feeling hungry?"
Qin Nuo said, "Give me a bottle of Tequ."
"80 Ghost Currency."
"It says 50 on it."
The vending machine sneered, "If you don''t buy, then scram. I won''t sell you anything, and you''ll starve to death. Know who''s the master and who''s the ve, got it?"
Qin Nuo said nothing, tossed 80 Ghost Currency into the gaping bloody mouth, and a bottle of Tequ was spat out.
"Go drink in the corner!"
Memorizing the vending machine''s mocking tone, Qin Nuo carried the dish away.
Soon, he returned to the restaurant.
Just in time, the Burning Ghost hadn''t gotten impatient.
"Enjoy your meal."
Qin Nuo ced the dish in front of the Burning Ghost.
The Burning Ghost started eating, not devouring like the other ghosts, with disgusting liquid sttering everywhere, but slowly savoring each piece, as if searching for something.
Soon, the Burning Ghost''s body trembled slightly, and a strange sound came from its mouth.
Observing its reaction, Qin Nuo smoothly poured a ss of Tequ and pushed it in front of it, "Would you like to try this drink?"
Looking at the ss, the Burning Ghost''s terrifying face twitched, "Is this from the chef, or your idea?"
Acting on one''s own could offend the customer, leading to horrifying consequences!
But Qin Nuo wasn''t afraid, calmly nodding, "My idea."
The Burning Ghost took the wine ss, terrifying mes flickering over its charred skin.
If this drink soured its mood, the mes could reduce Qin Nuo to ashes!
Lips parted, the drink wetting its throat.
The refreshing sweet and sour taste spread from the tongue to the throat.
The Burning Ghost reacted strongly, its entire terrifying face twitching.
It wasn''t that the drink was particrly good, but the long-forgotten, familiar taste and a vague memory resurfaced clearly in its mind.
"Ah..."
A pained sound escaped the Burning Ghost''s mouth.
The surrounding customers ignored its reaction.
The servers cast strange looks at Qin Nuo, seemingly convinced he was doomed.
After a moment.
The Burning Ghost raised its head again, a hoarse, distorted voice emerging, "Not bad."
"This is for you."
A 500-value Ghost Currency note was pushed over.
The surrounding servers were shocked by the scene.
Especially some ghosts, their eyes turning blood-red with envy at the generous tip.
Qin Nuo epted it with a smile, bowing at a 90-degree angle, "Thank you."
Simultaneously, a system voice echoed in his mind.
"Angel''s Kiss: You''ve gained +3 favorability from the Burning Ghost Liu Kai, rewarded with a blood-stained Bone-Crushing Hammer!"
Ghost Creature.
Items imbued with Ghost Aura, useful against ghosts, but varying in strength.
Without rushing to take it out, Qin Nuo tidied up and prepared to move to the next table.
Ding-a-ling!
Wee!
The door suddenly opened, and a new customer entered, a girl with twin ponytails and fair skin, looking like a normal girl.
But the surrounding customers regarded her not with disdain like they did Qin Nuo and the others, but with a hint of apprehension.
Half-Ghost.
As the name suggests, half-human, half-ghost, originally human, with a ghost residing within, making them more mysterious and terrifying than ghosts.
Because of their half-human nature, they weren''t particrly hostile to humans.
Of course, as long as you didn''t provoke them.
She sat at a table by the window, her legs in whitece-trimmed stockings swinging back and forth under her floral dress.
Serving her was an experienced ghost employee, who approached with a smile to inquire about her order.
Qin Nuo didn''t look further, noting the time, he moved to the second table.
***
Ten minutester.
Qin Nuo sessfullypleted the second order, receiving a satisfactory review.
This made him secretly delighted.
Helping the Burning Ghost recover lost memories, the first order undoubtedly received a very satisfactory review.
At this rate, his daily wage today would be double yesterday''s.
At this moment, somemotion arose in the restaurant.
Attracting the attention of many humans and ghosts.
By the window, the girl''s food was served, a simple dish and an afternoon dessert, Tiramisu cake.
The girl picked up a spoon, tasted a bite.
After chewing carefully, her pretty face showed a hint of contemtion.
The ghost employee confidently smiled, "This is our restaurant''s signature dessert, called Bloody Agate,plimentary for guests. If you find it satisfactory, we wee you back next time."
The girl pouted slightly, smiling, "But it''s missing something, and I don''t like it too sweet."
The ghost employee quickly said, "No problem, I''ll get you another one right away."
"No need."
The girl shook her head, extending her jade-like hand, pinching the air.
This action made the ghost employee''s expression turn hideous and extremely fearful, his uniform bursting as he transformed into a tumor-like monster.
It retreated violently, trying to escape.
But its entire body waspressed by something, turning into a meatball, and with a squeeze of the girl''s hand, the meatball exploded instantly.
Flesh and blood sttered every corner of the restaurant, the customers looked up, casting a fearful nce at the girl, then continued nonchntly with their meals.
She killed a ghost on the spot!
As Qin Nuo''s face turned pale, a worn-out teddy bear appeared beside him at some point.
Its two beady eyes stared intently at the girl, "Customer..."
Chapter 7: Free time, ghost of the wall!
The teddy bear was covered in patches, with one part shed open by something sharp, revealing most of the stuffing inside.
Qin Nuo had some impression of the teddy bear.
The restaurant manager, a position even higher than that of Pinhio.
The girl looked at the teddy bear and asked with a smile, "What''s wrong?"
Her expression was puzzled and curious, seemingly harmless, even though she had just crushed a ghost to death!
Qin Nuo thought a more terrifying conflict would erupt in the restaurant, but the teddy bear said, "Dear guest, to express our apologies, today''s bill is on the house. From now on, you''ll enjoy a 50% discount whenever you visit our restaurant."
"Really? Then I''lle again tomorrow. I hope tomorrow''s chef can satisfy me."
The girl jumped off the chair and walked out of the restaurant.
Such things often happened in the Horror World; as long as you were strong enough, you were the rule, and you set the rules.Several dishes at nearby tables were soiled, but the guests dared not speak, watching the girl leave.
Qin Nuo didn''t know how terrifying the girl was, but he knew that working diligently was what he should be doing now.
***
In the Horror World, the daytime was always gray, with no sunlight, indistinguishable between morning and afternoon.
After an unknown amount of time, Qin Nuopleted six orders.
Stretching his muscles, Qin Nuo let out a long breath, "I wonder how Liu Jiaqi and the others are doing."
Although he didn''t have a good impression of Wang Yang, they were ssmates after all, and in this world where life was cheap, as fellow humans, Qin Nuo still wished him well.
Suddenly, a bone-chilling coldness came from behind, as if a pair of eyes were glued to the back of his head.
Qin Nuo turned around and saw Pinhio silently appear at his feet.
"I''m done with my work," Qin Nuo exined.
"You did well. The next two hours are your free time. Of course, your freedom is limited to within the restaurant; you are not allowed to leave."
With that, Pinhio walked away.
"So as long as I''m in the restaurant, I can go anywhere?" Qin Nuo thought for a moment and turned to head towards the back door.
***
Ten minutester.
Qin Nuo arrived in front of a building, the area all janitors were responsible for.
"Tang Ming should be here, right?"
Muttering to himself, Qin Nuo pushed open the door.
In the hall, a hunched olddy was crawling on the ground, groping for something with her hands.
"Granny, what are you looking for?" Qin Nuo tried to ask. Judging by her attire, it wasn''t hard to tell she was responsible for the ghosts in this building.
The olddy seemed not to hear and continued to crawl around, searching.
"Are you looking for your reading sses?" Qin Nuo thought of helping her find them, but as soon as he lifted his foot, he found a round object at his feet.
An eyeball.
Qin Nuo''s mouth twitched as he picked up the eyeball and handed it to Ghost Granny, "Granny, is this what you''re looking for?"
Ghost Granny took the eyeball and stuffed it into her dark eye socket. Although the eyeball returned to its ce, it still looked incredibly eerie.
Ghost Granny finally smiled slightly, "Thank you, child!"
"No problem, Granny. Can I walk around?" Qin Nuo asked.
Then he added, "I was a server at the restaurant."
Ghost Granny waved her hand, pounding her back as she walked into a room.
"You can''t wander around this ce; it''s easy to get lost."
Watching her enter the room, Qin Nuo then went upstairs.
The corridor on the second floor was long, with rooms of various sizes lined up, the hallway piled with garbage, and the restroom emitting a foul stench.
Qin Nuo followed the corridor, hoping to bump into a familiar ssmate.
But soon, he realized that no matter how he walked, all he saw was darkness, endless, with no end in sight.
"What the hell?" Qin Nuo frowned.
This wasn''t just an expression.
There was really a ghost messing with him!
In his confusion, a pair of pale hands suddenly reached out from the wall, grabbing Qin Nuo''s shoulders, trying to drag him into the wall.
"Where did this wild rate from, bringing me food?"
Countless pale hands reached out, wrapping around Qin Nuo''s entire body.
"I''m a server at the restaurant!!" Qin Nuo shouted.
"In here, I''m in charge."
The ghost in the wall wasn''t afraid of threats.
"Damn!" Qin Nuo cursed, pulling out the Bone-Crushing Hammer and smashing it hard against the wall.
The blood on the Bone-Crushing Hammer seemed to have some sort of magic. With one hit, a dent appeared on the wall, and arge amount of ck blood seeped out.
A piercing scream!
"Where did you get this ghost item?" The wall ghost seemed very wary of the Bone-Crushing Hammer.
With that one hit, Qin Nuo understood that this ghost''s position wasn''t high, and its strength wasn''t great either.
He sneered coldly, "Do you think I''d dare toe to a ce like this without some skills? If you dare touch a hair on my head, I''ll smash you to death, believe it or not?"
The wall ghost fell silent.
Qin Nuo knew it was scared.
"Demon''s Eye: You intimidated the ghost in the wall and obtained a ghost item¡ªHuman Bone Nail!"
Hearing the system''s voice, Qin Nuo''s expression became moreposed and fierce, "Answer my questions one by one, and I won''t mess with you."
"How many humans are in this building?"
It had always been in the wall, so it must know a lot.
"Twenty came yesterday, four died."
"Have you seen someone wearing a headband?"
Tang Ming loved basketball, perhaps to show off or to attract the opposite sex, he almost always wore a headband on his forehead.
"Tall and skinny, wearing red clothes?"
Qin Nuo''s eyes lit up, "Yes, where is he?"
"He''s responsible for cleaning the restroom on this floor, but I think he might be dead."
Before Qin Nuo could ask, the wall ghost spoke first, "If you want to know why, just go to the restroom at the end of the corridor and you''ll find out."
Qin Nuo turned his head and saw that the abyss-like dark corridor had its ghost aura dissipate, bing clear.
Qin Nuo didn''t rush to leave but instead took out the Human Bone Nail and used the Bone-Crushing Hammer to m it into the wall.
It was like a branding iron meeting cheese; the Human Bone Nail was instantly embedded in the wall.
Then came the wall ghost''s terrified voice, "What are you doing?!"
"To prevent you from ying any tricks, I''ll leave this nail inside. If I return safely, I''ll help you take it out," Qin Nuo said.
The wall ghost felt the Human Bone Nail activating inside it, as if injected with a dose of venom, filling it with fear and terror.
"You damned rat!!"
Its angry voice echoed throughout the corridor.
Qin Nuo let it shout and scream, heading towards the other end of the corridor.
At the end, he saw the restroom.
The door was locked tight, and a strong ghost aura emanated from inside, looking from afar like a door to hell!
Even from ten meters away, Qin Nuo felt like he had fallen into an ice cave, shivering from the cold.
"What''s going on with this restroom?" Qin Nuo wondered in surprise.
Creak!
Just then, a door beside him suddenly opened, and a pair of eyes quietly peeked out.
Qin Nuo gripped the Bone-Crushing Hammer in reverse, ready to swing it down.
"Don''t... don''t hit me!!"
The shadow hurriedly spoke, trembling with fear.
Qin Nuo recognized the figure and was slightly stunned, "Xiao Yuexin?"
Chapter 8: Be understanding and help find my grandson!
"Your job is a janitor?" Qin Nuo wasn''t too surprised to see Xiao Yuexin. All the living people here were her ssmates, so it was only a matter of time before they ran into each other.
"Yes, I''m responsible for cleaning up this room." Xiao Yuexin held a broom and pointed to the cluttered shelves behind her, while nervously watching the outside.
It was a storage room, judging by the various sized cardboard boxes on the shelves, it seemed to be a ce for storing documents.
"Why is everyone hiding?" Qin Nuo was puzzled. With their uniforms on, doing their assigned tasks, the ghosts wouldn''t harm them. Yet, Xiao Yuexin looked terrified and uneasy.
"There''s a ghost in the corridor. As long as we stroll along the hallway, it leads us in circles."
Xiao Yuexin exined. Yesterday, many ssmates were harassed by the ghost in the corridor, leaving them in a sorry state.
Even with the uniforms, the ghosts still held a lot of malice towards humans. They wouldn''t harm you, but they would make things difficult and prank you.
That''s why she pulled Qin Nuo inside.
Qin Nuo knew she was talking about the ghost in the walls and said, "Don''t worry, I dealt with it. It won''t dare to cause trouble anymore."Whether she believed him or not, Qin Nuo asked, "Is Tang Ming responsible for the restroom area?"
"Yes, he shares a dorm with me, but he didn''te backst night. You saw that door with the ck aura, right? He''s been trapped inside since yesterday and hasn''te out."
"It seems he offended the ghost in the restroom, he might already be..." Xiao Yuexin knew about Qin Nuo and Tang Ming''s rtionship, so she didn''t finish her sentence.
Qin Nuo''s face darkened, "Can I go in?"
"You can''t. The door is locked, and the key is with the dorm manager granny in the lobby."
As ssmates, Xiao Yuexin wanted to ask the dorm manager granny to save Tang Ming trapped in the restroom.
But seeing Ghost Granny''s bloody eye sockets, she couldn''t muster the courage.
"Alright, thank you." Qin Nuo nodded.
Xiao Yuexin knew Qin Nuo was going to get the key and advised, "Tang Ming has been in there for almost 48 hours now, the chances of him being alive are slim."
"Although saying this might upset you, that Ghost Granny is terrifying. If you anger her, you won''t be able to leave this building."
"It''s alright, ghosts are actually quite reasonable. Just talk some sense into them."
"???"
Reasonable? Xiao Yuexin looked at Qin Nuo with a strange expression.
Qin Nuo waved his hand, ready to leave, "You go on with your work, I''ll be off."
"Wait!"
Xiao Yuexin called out to Qin Nuo, her expression a mix of pleading and fear.
"What''s wrong?" Qin Nuo asked.
Xiao Yuexin stepped aside and pointed to a messy shelf in the corner, "I can''t seem to organize this shelf. Every time I arrange it, it gets thrown off."
"Time is almost up, if the dorm manager granny sees I haven''t tidied up, I won''t survive!" Xiao Yuexin was so anxious her eyes were red.
She wasn''t sure if Qin Nuo would help.
Although they were ssmates, they hardly interacted in ss.
Besides, who would willingly provoke a ghost?
"Can''t put it up?"
Qin Nuo was puzzled, picking up a box of tape and cing it on the second shelf.
But the next second, the box was thrown off.
At the same time, the entire shelf began to twist, emitting a sinisterugh.
A pair of hands emerged from the shelf, grabbing the items and throwing them around chaotically.
Clearly, Xiao Yuexin was being targeted by a shelf ghost.
As a human, she was helpless, crying in fear while constantly picking up items and cing them back.
Yet after two hours, the ce was still a mess, the shelf ghost was determined to mess with her.
Xiao Yuexin broke down in tears, finally begging Qin Nuo for help.
The eerieughter echoed in the room, filled with smugness.
Qin Nuo was silent for a moment, then smiled, "This is easy to handle!"
With that, he took out the Bone-Crushing Hammer and a human bone nail, driving the nail half an inch into the shelf with a single strike!
White smoke sizzled out, and the ghost in the shelf let out a miserable cry, "Human, how dare you stab me?"
The shelf shook violently, as if it was about to turn into a bloody mouth and swallow Qin Nuo whole.
Qin Nuo said nothing, striking again, driving the nail another half inch.
"I''ll tear you apart!!"
The response was another strike!
As arge amount of ck smoke billowed out, the shelf oozed ck blood and became indistinct.
Finally, it realized it was dealing with someone ruthless and begged for mercy, "Boss, let''s talk this out, please stop, or I''ll be obliterated!"
The voice trembled with fear.
The initial arrogance and ferocity vanishedpletely.
Qin Nuo smiled slightly, "See, isn''t it better to talk like this? I''m actually quite easygoing."
Shelf Ghost: "..."
"How much time do you have left?" Qin Nuo turned to ask Xiao Yuexin.
"Five minutes." Xiao Yuexin kept an eye on the clock on the wall.
Qin Nuo said to the shelf ghost, "Five minutes, clean up this room. If there''s even a hint of mess and my friend gets punished, you won''t survive either!"
The shelf ghost didn''t dare to resist.
It was just a supernatural entity formed by long-term exposure to ghost aura, not even a full-fledged ghost, only capable of bullying neers. When faced with someone tough, it immediately cowered.
"It''ll be spotless, don''t worry, boss!"
With that, the scattered items on the floor seemed to grow legs, climbing onto the shelves, each returning to its ce.
Qin Nuo raised an eyebrow at Xiao Yuexin, "Ghosts are just like us, they bully the weak and fear the strong. If you''re tougher than them, they''ll back down."
Xiao Yuexin was too shocked to say a word, thinking to herself that you needed skills like his to pull it off!
"Problem solved, I''m off."
Bidding farewell to Xiao Yuexin, Qin Nuo returned to the first-floor lobby.
Ghost Granny wasing out of a room, dragging two mangled corpses, tossing them into a meat grinder.
Qin Nuo approached and politely greeted, "Granny, I''m back."
Ghost Granny ignored him, slowly grinding the meat.
"Granny, can I borrow the key to the second-floor restroom? I need to use the bathroom."
Qin Nuo got straight to the point.
Ghost Granny remained silent as if she hadn''t heard.
After a moment of thought, Qin Nuo said, "I can make a deal with you."
With that, he took out a few pieces of ghost currency.
Ghost Granny suddenly looked up, her eye sockets pitch ck, the eyeballs missing again, "You want to save the boy in the restroom?"
Qin Nuo nodded.
"Find my mischievous grandson, and I''ll give you the key."
Qin Nuo''s face lit up with joy.
Ghost Granny saying this meant Tang Ming was still alive!
"Alright, where is your grandson?"
"He''s very naughty, always running around. He might be in the basement, on the rooftop, or in some corner."
"You''ll have to find him yourself."
"Alright, Granny, wait here."
Meaning he would only be within this building, not too hard to find.
Qin Nuo turned to leave.
Ghost Granny suddenly called out to him, adding, "Also, help me find my eyeballs."
"..."
Chapter 9: Use your head as a ball to gain Ghost Power!
"Quite a coincidence, I''m back again."
On the second-floor corridor, Qin Nuo had returned.
The wall''s ster trembled, and an angry voice echoed through the corridor: "Take that nail out!"
"Don''t rush me, my business isn''t finished yet."
"The grandson of that Ghost Granny on the first floor is running wild in this building. Do you know where he went?"
"I don''t know!!"
"Goodbye." Qin Nuo turned and left.
"That little ghost went to the third floor. Can you take it out now?"
"Be patient, once I''m done, I''ll help you remove it. I''m human, I keep my promises, unlike you ghosts.""Get lost!"
Qin Nuo didn''t have time to argue and rushed to the third floor.
The third floor was even darker and gloomier. Even with windows, the outside light seemed blocked, unable to prate.
The only sound in the corridor was Qin Nuo''s footsteps, echoing clearly.
Qin Nuo wanted to call out, but the eerie atmosphere choked his words.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Suddenly, a sound of something hitting the ground came from ahead, getting closer.
Qin Nuo''s hand secretly gripped the handle of the Bone-Crushing Hammer.
A dirty ball rolled over.
Then a four or five-year-old boy picked it up.
The boy looked up, his big ck eyes devoid of whites, appearing quite horrifying.
"Brother, are you here to y ball with me?"
"What''s your name?" Qin Nuo squatted down. Despite the boy''s frightening appearance, he showed a friendly demeanor, fond of children.
"My name is Xiao Xin."
"Xiao Xin, be good. Your grandma is looking for you everywhere. How about I take you downstairs to y games?"
The boy pouted and shook his head: "No, I want to y games."
After a pause, the boy added, "Unless you get me a new ball, this one is too dirty!"
He threw the ball into the darkness.
Qin Nuo looked around the empty surroundings, thinking where to find a ball now, and said, "Let''s go downstairs first. Brother will help you find a new ball."
"No, no, I want a new ball!!"
The boy cried for a moment, then suddenly pointed at Qin Nuo''s head and said, "Brother, can you take your head off for me to kick? Grandma used to give Xiao Xin other people''s heads to y with!"
Qin Nuo''s hair stood on end.
Goodness, a brat is one thing, but having such dangerous thoughts!
If it weren''t for the fear of the old one, Qin Nuo would have smashed him with a hammer.
"Brother''s head isn''t fun. How about you stay put, and I''ll go down to find a ball for you, okay?"
"No, I want a new ball now. Without a new ball, Xiao Xin will use brother''s head to kick!!"
Damn it!!
For the first time, Qin Nuo wanted to strangle the brat.
The little boy wed with his hands, seemingly determined to take Qin Nuo''s head for a kick.
Qin Nuo''s face darkened, but his eyes suddenly lit up as he spotted something and said, "Xiao Xin, be good. Brother found a ball for you."
"Really, really, where?"
"Turn around and see?"
The little boy turned his head, and Qin Nuo swiftly grabbed an axe from a nearby fire hydrant, swinging it hard at the boy''s neck.
The head and body separated.
There was no imagined horror of blood spraying.
The boy''s head rolled on the ground, his eyes curiously watching Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo smiled slightly: "See, now you have a ball to kick."
With that, he took a quick step forward and kicked the head into the darkness.
The headless body suddenly iled its arms and legs, running into the darkness.
Soon, joyfulughter came from the darkness.
The headless body returned, holding its head.
The boy''s head showed a satisfied smile: "Yay, Xiao Xin has a new ball to kick!!"
"Convenient, isn''t it? From now on, whenever you want to y ball, just take your head off and kick it. When you''re tired, put it back on. No need to worry about dirt or losing it."
"Mm-hmm, thank you, big brother!"
With that, he threw his head on the ground and happily kicked it around.
Seeing the boy y happily, Qin Nuo broke out in a cold sweat.
"Hopefully, this innocent child doesn''t realize the seriousness of the situation."
When the boy was done ying, Qin Nuo took him downstairs, reminding him to attach his head to his neck and only take it off when ying.
***
Downstairs, the meat grinder was gone.
Ghost Granny seemed to have just finished some work, rubbing her back.
The boy saw his grandma and happily ran into her arms.
"Grandma, this big brother is so nice. He let Xiao Xin take his head off to y ball!" The boy pointed at Qin Nuo, as if praising him.
But that sentence made Qin Nuo''s back drenched in sweat.
Fortunately, Ghost Granny didn''t pursue the matter, looking up at Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo extended a hand: "I found your grandson, and here''s your eyeball."
Pressing the eyeball back into its socket, Ghost Granny''s mouth cracked into a smile: "Not bad, remember to put the key back, just leave it on the table."
"Angel''s Kiss: You gained +3 favorability from Ghost Granny, rewarded with 10 points of Ghost Power!"
Ghost Power, equivalent to strength in the ghost realm, the higher the value, the more terrifying.
Qin Nuo didn''t expect that as a human, he could gain Ghost Power.
He nced at the detailed panel of Ghost Power. It matched human physical attributes, meaning as Ghost Power increased, strength, speed, and other aspects would also enhance.
Moreover, the higher the Ghost Power, the more terrifying the ghost creature''s power!
"Thank you, Granny."
Qin Nuo thanked her, grabbed the key, and rushed upstairs.
Once upstairs, Qin Nuo quickly headed to the bathroom at the end of the corridor.
Free activity time was almost over.
He had to hurry!
However, Qin Nuo soon realized that the corridor seemed endless, with a misty ck fog that wouldn''t disperse.
Stopping, Qin Nuo coldly shouted, "What, want me to give you another nail?"
Naturally, it was the wall ghost causing trouble.
"You want to enter that bathroom?" the wall ghost asked.
"Is there a problem?"
"There''s a ghost in there, trapping your friend, but it''s not easy to deal with!"
"Stronger than you?" Qin Nuo asked, hesitating.
Although he still had four human bone nails, if he encountered a powerful ghost, these things would be like toys, easily broken.
Like that Half-Ghost little girl.
"Not much stronger than me," the wall ghost said.
"Then I''m relieved."
"???"
The wall ghost felt humiliated and angry, feeling insulted.
"He hanged himself in that bathroom. It''s his territory. The ghost items you have can hurt him, but not enough to make him wary. Relying on a hammer and a few nails won''t save your friend, and you''ll end up getting caught too!"
Qin Nuo asked, "From what you''re saying, do you have a n?"
"Just lure him into this corridor, and I''ll help you deal with him!" the wall ghost said.
Qin Nuo squinted, smiling: "What are you plotting, little buddy?"
A ghost helping a human is like a weasel wishing a chicken a Happy New Year.
Definitely up to no good.
The wall ghost wasn''t surprised by Qin Nuo''s reaction, calmly saying, "My existence... is to kill that guy!"
Chapter 10: Hang the ghost, find someone in the toilet!
"From what you said, do you two have a grudge?" Qin Nuo asked.
"The guy in the bathroom was a murderer with over a dozen lives on his hands. He raped and killed my girlfriend, dismembered me, and stuffed me into the wall, filling it with steel and cement.
Later, when the crime was exposed, he was cornered by the police in this building and hanged himself in the bathroom."
The voice in the corridor trembled with intense hatred.
It didn''t sound like a lie.
Qin Nuo paused for a moment and asked, "Can you beat him?"
"Once I''m in this corridor, I''m invincible!"
"Then why can''t you beat me?"
Qin Nuo''s sharp words left the wall ghost speechless.It was also puzzled. How could a mere human manage to control it in this corridor?
Perhaps it was the human bone nail, or maybe the blood on the Bone-Crushing Hammer that restrained it.
In any case, if Qin Nuo didn''t use that human bone nail, it might have been obliterated.
"Fine, I''ll trust you this once!"
Though Qin Nuo said he believed it, he picked up the hammer and nail and swiftly drove another nail into the wall.
"You!!" the wall ghost eximed in shock and anger.
"Don''t worry, this is just in case. If what you said is true, I''ll help you pull it outter."
Though the wall ghost was furious, it had no choice but to disperse the ghost aura at the end of the corridor.
Qin Nuo made his way to the door shrouded in ghost aura, inserted the key, and turned it.
With a creak, the door opened automatically, and an even more bone-chilling cold surged out.
Qin Nuo shivered as he stepped inside.
The bathroom was very clean, every corner looked freshly cleaned.
However, water was pooled everywhere, and the sound of dripping water was clear.
Even though the bathroom seemed small, Qin Nuo saw the stalls lined up endlessly!
"Tang Ming!"
He shouted, and it echoed back as if he were in a valley.
Qin Nuo had no choice but to kick open each stall door, not caring if there were people or ghosts inside.
Bang!!
The first stall he kicked open revealed a mess of ck hair stuffed in the toilet.
The hair suddenly wriggled, slowly rising, and beneath the dense hair, a pair of dead eyes stared fixedly at Qin Nuo.
"Sorry, wrong door, carry on."
Qin Nuo moved on to the second door.
The third door.
The fourth door.
***
As he opened door after door, the bathroom was filled with various horrifying ghost creatures...
After opening over a dozen doors, Qin Nuo heard some sounds.
Following the source, Qin Nuo entered one of the stalls and kicked the door open. Inside, Tang Ming was frantically scrubbing the toilet with a brush.
He kept muttering, "Almost done, almost done, the supervisor said I can leave once it''s clean."
"You were hard to find, why are you still cleaning the toilet at a time like this? Come with me!"
Qin Nuo tried to pull Tang Ming, but he remained unmoved, his hands continuing their task, his words unchanged.
"So dirty, so dirty, why is it dirty again?"
Qin Nuo left a ck footprint on the floor, and Tang Ming immediately pounced, scrubbing furiously until not a speck of dirt was visible.
His frantic scrubbing was wearing the floor thin!
"Is this guy possessed?" Qin Nuo was stunned.
No matter how he pulled, Tang Ming stuck to his task, even tossing Qin Nuo aside with surprising strength.
Qin Nuo considered whether to nail him in the head.
After a moment of silence, Qin Nuo suddenly pped Tang Ming hard: "Idiot, snap out of it, do you want to get out or not?"
Surprisingly, the p brought Tang Ming to a halt.
Then, he looked around in confusion.
Finally, his gaze focused on Qin Nuo: "Old Qin?"
Did that p really wake him up?
Qin Nuo was taken aback, somewhat surprised.
Could it be that his 10 points of Ghost Power broke the illusion on Tang Ming?
"Old Qin, you finally came, I was about to lose it!" Tang Ming clung to Qin Nuo, sobbing.
"You don''t know..."
"No time for whining, let''s get out of here first!"
Qin Nuo pulled Tang Ming out of the stall, but the ghost aura in the bathroom grew thicker.
They couldn''t even tell where the door was, let alone directions.
A shadow appeared ahead, the ghost supervising the bathroom cleaning.
"Is the bathroom clean? Not clean, huh? Get back in there, or I''ll tear your flesh off piece by piece!!"
The ghost revealed itself, its pockmarked face covered in bloody scars, a noose mark deeply bruised around its neck, stretching a full meter, its head dangling like a kite.
Clearly, this was the psychotic murderer the wall ghost spoke of, now turned into the Hanged Ghost.
"I, I..." Tang Ming''s face turned pale, stammering, haunted by the Hanged Ghost.
"This bathroom can never be cleaned, you want to trap him here forever until he dies of exhaustion." Qin Nuo spoke calmly.
"Another rat hase, perfect, you two can keep each otherpany!"
The Hanged Ghost grinned maniacally, its head suddenly flying towards them.
Qin Nuo suddenly threw a human bone nail, swinging the hammer, the nail shot out like a bullet.
The nail pierced the Hanged Ghost''s forehead with precision, cracks spreading across its head.
Then, a blood-stained sanitary pad was viciously pped onto the Hanged Ghost.
Instantly, the Hanged Ghost was thrown into disarray, howling madly.
"Holy crap, Old Qin, you''re a real freak!" Tang Ming stared at the sanitary pad, his expression one of utter shock.
Ahead, the ghostly mist gradually faded, and an exit appeared in sight.
"Run!"
Without another word, Qin Nuo grabbed Tang Ming and bolted.
"We can''t escape, no matter where I go, this ghost will find me!" Tang Ming said.
Qin Nuo didn''t respond, and as they ran out of the bathroom, the Hanged Ghost''s roar echoed from behind.
Tang Ming turned his head, seeing the flying head, his eyes nearly popping out in fear.
At that moment, Qin Nuo suddenly stopped at the stairway, turning to face the approaching Hanged Ghost.
The panicked Tang Ming was about to ask why they stopped when the floor suddenly shook, and the walls of the corridor began to peel.
Thick ck blood seeped from every corner of the walls.
In the blink of an eye, the entire corridor turned into a bloody hell!
The Hanged Ghost abruptly halted, sensing something, its face filled with terror, and it tried to flee back to the bathroom.
But when it turned around, the path was gone.
"Friend, you''re helping humans?" the Hanged Ghost''s voice was chilling as it looked at Qin Nuo in the distance, realizing something.
"What, don''t you recognize me?"
A voice filled with intense killing intent came, and then the walls on both sides shifted, countless pale hands reaching out, grabbing the Hanged Ghost.
The Hanged Ghost''s face turned to horror: "You''re that damned..."
Before it could finish, the Hanged Ghost was forcibly dragged into the wall, and ghostly mist enveloped the area.
The piercing screams that followed made Qin Nuo and Tang Ming''s scalps tingle.
In a moment.
Silence returned.
The ghostly mist dissipated.
The corridor returned to normal.
Qin Nuo muttered to himself, "Did they perish together?"
"It''s dead." Just as he finished speaking, the indifferent voice of the wall ghost came through.
Chapter 11: Six-eyed evil spirit, Wang Yangs fate!
"Oh, it should be reduced to ashes."
The Wall Ghost added another sentence.
Qin Nuo was secretly surprised.
In less than a minute, the Wall Ghost had dealt with the Hanged Ghost?
This guy is so powerful, why is he still afraid of a few nails?
The Wall Ghost didn''t say much more and said in a deep voice, "The job''s done, can you help me pull out those two nails now?"
Qin Nuo kept his word and swiftly pulled out the two bone nails from the wall.
At this moment, Tang Ming finally understood what was going on, and he waspletely stunned.
His good buddy was actually working with a ghost to deal with another ghost?How the hell did he manage that?
"Buddy, my friend here isn''t too bright. If he runs into trouble in the next few days, could you look out for him?" Qin Nuo said.
Wall Ghost: "You''re no saint yourself."
"Don''t be so petty, I''ve always thought of us as friends."
"Scram!"
"Alright, pulling out nails and not recognizing people, goodbye."
Qin Nuo left with Tang Ming.
"How did you get tangled up with that Hanged Ghost?"
On their way downstairs, Qin Nuo asked for the reason. Logically, as long as you work honestly, ghosts wouldn''t dare harm employees.
"Don''t mention it, that Hanged Ghost is extremely malevolent. It was my first day on the job, and I was inexperienced in many areas. It made things difficult for me at every turn."
"In the end, I made a small mistake, and it caught me by the tail, trapping me in the restroom. In one of the stalls, I saw several pieces of human skin and hair, probably from previous employees."
"That Hanged Ghost, who knows how many new employees like me it has killed!" Tang Ming said with lingering fear.
In life, the Hanged Ghost was a murderer with several lives on his hands. In death, it was filled with malevolence, always thinking of ways to harm others.
So, it made things difficult for new employees, causing them to make mistakes, so it could slowly torment them.
This way, it stayed within the rules while satisfying its desire to kill!
"Alright, there are still five days left, be careful."
"I can''t always be there to help you." Qin Nuo patted Tang Ming on the shoulder.
Tang Ming nodded and suddenly said, "By the way, those moves you pulled earlier were impressive, you had those two ghostspletely under control!"
Qin Nuo chuckled twice, said nothing, and went downstairs after bidding farewell to Tang Ming.
In the lobby, Ghost Granny and the little boy were not there, but from a room on the side came the little boy''s voice, "Grandma, this is so delicious, I want more."
"If you want to eat, eat more. Grandma has plenty." Ghost Granny''s loving voice came through.
Qin Nuo didn''t think much about what the ghostly grandson was eating; it certainly wasn''t something humans would eat.
Hanging the key on the wall at the front desk, Qin Nuo hurried back to the restaurant.
There were five minutes left until the end of his shift.
Qin Nuo was wondering if Liu Jiaqi and the others hadpleted their tasks when he ran into a panicked Wang Yang in the corridor.
Wang Yang was carrying a dish, looking flustered, and when he saw Qin Nuo, it was like seeing a lifeline.
"Qin Nuo! You''re the only one who can save me now, please help me!"
"Is there a problem with your dish?" Qin Nuo asked.
"I''vepleted five orders, but four of them received unsatisfactory ratings. If thest one doesn''t get a satisfactory rating or higher, I''m done for!"
"Pinhio will make sure I don''t see the sun tomorrow, we were ssmates, you have to help me!"
"How can you make this dish satisfactory for the customer?"
He was holding a pot of soup, its contents unknown, with the meat inside falling apart and emitting a strange odor.
Seeing his state, Qin Nuo hesitated for a moment and used the Eye of Analysis to discern the shorings of the dish.
"Go to the kitchen and find a bottle of cooking wine, pour in half a spoon, and remember, the cooking wine must be white wine," Qin Nuo said.
"Do I have to go back? Why don''t you help me all the way and add it for me!" Wang Yang continued to plead.
"Wang Yang, I''ve helped you as much as I can, I can''t help you any more, your life is in your own hands."
Qin Nuo shook his head and spoke coldly.
He wasn''t a fool.
In this world where life is cheap, it''s a test of one''s heart. If he took over the pot of soup, the me could easily fall on him.
Being too kind would only lead to his own downfall!
Seeing Qin Nuo''s firm refusal, a trace of malice shed in Wang Yang''s eyes, but it was quickly concealed, and he hurriedly said, "Okay, okay, I''ll go add it right away!"
With that, he ran off.
Back at the restaurant, Liu Jiaqi returned from the kitchen, looking relieved.
"Finished?" Qin Nuo asked.
Liu Jiaqi nodded, "And you?"
"I finished two hours ago and took a detour to Tang Ming''s ce."
Liu Jiaqi''s mouth dropped open.
It''s only the second day, and he''s already wandering around like it''s his own backyard!
She suddenly felt like she and Qin Nuo were ying different games.
She was worried about offending the customers and losing her life.
But he was just clocking in and out, rxed and leisurely.
"Wang Yang seems to be in some trouble. He''s missing a hand, which greatly affects him, and he''s already received four bad reviews today," Liu Jiaqi said.
So, the customer''s review of this sixth order was crucial, almost determining his fate!
"I gave him some advice, whether he can handle it is up to him."
Just as Qin Nuo finished speaking, Wang Yang pushed the dining cart out.
Sweating profusely, his face was still filled with anxiety and fear.
"Cu...customer, your dish is here."
Wang Yang ced the dish on the table with trembling hands.
The customer at the table was a ghost with six eyes, no mouth on its face, and a gaping maw with fangs on its chest.
Looking at the soup in the pot, the Six-Eyed Ghost paused, then poured all the soup and meat into its gaping maw.
The hair-raising sound of chewing filled the air, making Wang Yang''s legs tremble.
Soon.
After swallowing everything, the Six-Eyed Ghost looked up at Wang Yang and asked in a calm voice, "What did you add to this soup?"
Seeing that the Six-Eyed Ghost didn''t show any dissatisfaction or anger, Wang Yang''s eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "Customer, it was cooking wine, I added cooking wine!"
"The chef''s idea, or yours?"
"It was mine, I requested it to be added!" Wang Yang hurriedly imed credit, afraid the merit would be taken by someone else.
"Is that so."
"Because of your cooking wine, you''ve ruined my entire pot of soup!"
The Six-Eyed Ghost''s six snake-like venomous eyes turned blood red, and terrifying ghost aura surged from the gaping maw.
The table shook violently, cracking inch by inch, with fragments scattering everywhere.
Wang Yang was stunned.
"A clever rat, ruining the soup and ruining my mood!"
"As a price, you''ll be my ve!"
Arge hand reached out, and Wang Yang had no room to resist, like an ant caught in its grasp.
Creak.
Pinhio appeared, staring at the Six-Eyed Ghost.
Wang Yang, seeing a savior, frantically called for help, "Supervisor, save me, please save me!"
"Are you the supervisor?" The six terrifying red eyes all turned to Pinhio.
"Yes, I apologize for the inconvenience caused by my foolish employee to our esteemed guest."
"Aspensation, this rat is yours, and on your next visit, you''ll enjoy the restaurant''s member discount!"
Pinhio''s words made Wang Yang''s heart sink to the bottom.
His eyes turned blood red as he red at Qin Nuo not far away, screaming hysterically, "Qin Nuo! You set me up, I won''t let you get away with this! Even if I be a ghost, I''lle back for you!!"
"That''s more like it."
Pinhio''s words made the Six-Eyed Ghost nod in satisfaction, then it left the restaurant with the screaming Wang Yang.
The other guests were silent, quickly making way.
Clearly, the Six-Eyed Ghost was not to be trifled with.
After Wang Yang was taken away, the restaurant returned to silence.
Pinhio nced at Qin Nuo and Liu Jiaqi, muttering to himself as he left, "One less person again, what a headache."
Chapter 12: Bullying the weak and fearing the strong, extorting like a wicked ghost!
"You two did well today. Here''s your pay."
Pinhio raised his wooden arm, and a few Ghost Currency coins fell into the hands of Qin Nuo and Liu Jiaqi.
"Additionally, 3697 is still the best employee among all the staff today. Here''s your extra reward!"
With that, a badge appeared in Qin Nuo''s hand.
A skull-shaped badge.
"Wearing this badge grants you some privileges, like ess to the second floor of the restaurant and the right to interfere in the kitchen..."
After speaking, Pinhio turned and left.
Qin Nuo noticed that as he held the badge, the surrounding ghost employees cast greedy nces his way.
"This is a good thing," Qin Nuo said with a smile as he put it away."Qin Nuo, about what Wang Yang said..." Liu Jiaqi looked at Qin Nuo with some fear.
Could it be that Qin Nuo intentionally framed Wang Yang?
Qin Nuo said nothing, walked to the table, dipped his finger into the leftover soup, and activated the Eye of Analysis.
After a moment, he wiped his finger with a napkin and said, "I told him to add cooking wine, and there was absolutely no problem with that."
"But it had to be cooking wine made from white liquor, not yellow beer."
Though both are cooking wines, yellow beer has a lower purity and overpowers the original aroma and taste of the soup.
Perhaps Wang Yang was being cheap, thinking all cooking wines were the same.
But this little detail cost him his life!
Qin Nuo had said it had to be white liquor, and Wang Yang didn''t take it to heart, so he couldn''t me Qin Nuo.
Liu Jiaqi felt very conflicted after hearing the analysis.
After all, they were ssmates, and watching him being taken away by ghosts was a heavy blow, no matter how you looked at it.
"Instead of worrying about Wang Yang, you''d better worry about whether you''ll survive tomorrow."
"I''m going to buy something to eat. Are youing?"
Seeing Liu Jiaqi''s absent-minded look, Qin Nuo didn''t say much and turned to leave.
"Wait for me."
In the hallway, Qin Nuo ordered a bowl of snail noodles for 30 Ghost Currency and inserted a 100-value Ghost Currency note.
Soon, the vending machine shook.
The snail noodles dropped out.
As for the change, only 20 Ghost Currency was returned.
As expected, it swallowed 50 Ghost Currency again!
But this time, Qin Nuo didn''t silently ept his bad luck. With a nk expression, he said, "The count is off."
"Stop talking nonsense. If you keep it up, I''ll take back even this box of noodles!"
The vending machine ghost''s hoarse voice came out.
Qin Nuo said nothing, hanging the badge on his chest.
"What, you think this thing can scare me?" the vending machine ghost sneered.
"I''m not nning to scare you with this; this is more practical!"
Qin Nuo took out the Bone-Crushing Hammer and swung it at the vending machine''s ss.
Instantly, the ss shattered!
Liu Jiaqi, who had caught up, covered her mouth in shock at the scene.
Was Qin Nuo really going to fight the vending machine ghost?
"You want to die!!"
The vending machine ghost was furious, its ghostly face twisting, and a row of sharp teeth grew from its bloody mouth, as if it would swallow Qin Nuo in the next second.
"Demon''s Eye: You gained +3 Rage Meter from the vending machine ghost and obtained the Murderous Butcher''s Chainsaw!"
"A chainsaw? This is great!"
Qin Nuo''s face lit up with joy.
Over there, the vending machine ghost was about tosh out, but Qin Nuo kicked it hard back against the wall.
"Is this Ghost Power?"
The vending machine ghost was shocked. This rat actually had Ghost Power!
Then, even more unbelievably, Qin Nuo pulled out a chainsaw covered in dried blood from who knows where.
With a few strong pulls of the cord, the chainsaw roared to life, and a heavy scent of blood filled the air.
From Liu Jiaqi''s perspective, a sense of fear arose, as if it were an illusion. At this moment, Qin Nuo seemed like a deranged killer in a raincoat, wielding a chainsaw on a rainy night.
The vending machine ghost sensed the chainsaw''s peculiarity and suddenly realized it was a Ghost Creature!
Before it could react, Qin Nuo was upon it.
The chainsaw de tore through the vending machine''s surface, and instead of sparks, thick, sticky ck blood oozed out.
The vending machine ghost was both shocked and terrified, but mostly furious.
Was it really being oppressed by a mere rat?
A pair of bloody hands reached out from behind the vending machine, trying to tear Qin Nuo apart.
But in the next second, they recoiled as if electrocuted!
The restaurant''s rules stated that as long as employees worked diligently andpleted their tasks, ghosts couldn''t harm them.
Moreover, besides the work uniform, Qin Nuo had the Best Employee badge hanging on his chest!
The vending machine ghost couldn''t harm Qin Nuo no matter what.
And Qin Nuo, as if transformed into a dedicated lumberjack, ignored everything else and swung the chainsaw with all his might.
As the chainsaw roared, pieces fell to the ground, and ck blood had already flooded the floor.
The vending machine ghost finally realized Qin Nuo''s ruthlessness and quickly spoke up, "Wait! Stop, I''ll give you your change, everyst coin!"
Two Ghost Currency notes popped out.
"What about yesterday''s?"
"I''ll return all of yesterday''s too!"
"And my friend''s?"
"Here, I''ll give it all back to you!"
The vending machine ghostpletely gave in.
Only then did Qin Nuo stop his actions, pulling out the chainsaw, and the flowing ck blood ceased.
Picking up the stack of Ghost Currency, Qin Nuo counted it and then looked up with a smile, "The count is off, isn''t it?"
"How could it be? I counted very carefully."
Qin Nuo casually said, "I just gave you a 1000-value Ghost Currency note."
"Nonsense, you gave me a 100!" the vending machine ghost retorted angrily.
"You remembered wrong."
Qin Nuo picked up the chainsaw again, pulling the cord.
The sound of the chainsaw struck deep into the vending machine ghost''s soul.
Faced with Qin Nuo''s shameless extortion, the vending machine ghost was furious to the extreme.
Suppressing its overwhelming anger, the vending machine ghost eventually conceded, gritting its teeth, "I remembered wrong. A thousand, I''ll give it to you!"
Soon, a thick stack of Ghost Currency appeared in Qin Nuo''s hand, exactly 970 Ghost Currency.
"See, I''m a reasonable person. Someone who doesn''t know might think I''m extorting you," Qin Nuo said with a smile.
Vending machine ghost: "..."
If it were human, it might have already been spitting blood from anger.
"In the next few days, don''t get the count wrong. I''m not good at math, so I might get it wrong too!" Qin Nuo put away the chainsaw and said to the already battered vending machine.
Qin Nuo gestured to Liu Jiaqi, who stepped forward and timidly said, "I''d like a y pot rice."
The vending machine made no sound, as if it were broken.
Qin Nuo took out the hammer, weighing it in his hand, and immediately a y pot rice, along with a drink and utensils, popped out of the vending machine.
Though it said nothing, the vending machine had made its stance clear.
It had admitted defeat!
Qin Nuo left with Liu Jiaqi, and once they returned to the dormitory, she finally let out a long sigh of relief, feeling a lingering fear.
"That was so dangerous just now. That was a ghost. Aren''t you afraid of its revenge?" Liu Jiaqi eximed.
Scaring a ghost was one thing, but actually extorting it was another.
Qin Nuo''s actions had truly left Liu Jiaqi stunned!
"So what if it''s a ghost?"
"These things are just like people, they bully the weak and fear the strong. The more you cower, the more arrogant they be."
"What if it fights you to the death?"
"Then I''ll just dismantle it!" Qin Nuo shrugged.
Chapter 13: Job change, a girls preference!
"Alright, finish your food and get some sleep."
After a long day, Qin Nuo wanted to copse onto the bed, but going two days without a shower left him feeling unbearably filthy and itchy.
Better take a shower.
Qin Nuo thought to himself, not that he was sloppy.
It was just that stripping downpletely while showering made him feel insecure.
Entering the bathroom, Qin Nuo suddenly noticed the faucet was dry, and the floor drain was clogged with a tangled mess of hair.
ncing at Liu Jiaqi by the door, Qin Nuo said, "You''re shedding quite a bit, aren''t you?"
"No... it''s not my hair," Liu Jiaqi replied, her face pale.
Qin Nuo''s expression darkened, "Another ghost got in?"The faucet sputtered like it was choking, then spewed out a disgusting pool of ck blood.
And some unknown rotten flesh!
Even Qin Nuo couldn''t handle this scene.
Liu Jiaqi said, "It was fine when I showered yesterday."
Bang, bang, bang.
The door suddenly knocked.
Qin Nuo gestured for Liu Jiaqi to be quiet, then grabbed the Bone-Crushing Hammer and went to open the door.
Outside stood a woman in white, her hair reaching her waist and covering her face, resembling Sadako.
"3697?"
A cold, emotionless voice came from behind the hair.
"It''s me, what''s up?" Although he sensed no malice, Qin Nuo still gripped the Bone-Crushing Hammer tightly.
The woman in white handed Qin Nuo a box.
Opening it, he found clean living supplies inside.
"I''ve fixed the water problem," the woman in white said.
Qin Nuo realized that the tangled hair in the bathroom was hers. What was this female ghost''s role?
Dorm manager?
A kind-hearted youngdy?
Qin Nuo looked at the woman in white with curiosity.
The woman in white didn''t speak, instead ncing at the badge on Qin Nuo''s chest.
Qin Nuo roughly understood.
An excellent employee reward, ordered by Pinhio.
"Don''t open the door at night."
With that, the woman in white left.
"Qin Nuo, what does she... do?" Liu Jiaqi asked quietly from the bathroom.
"Bringing warmth," Qin Nuo replied, handing the box to Liu Jiaqi. He then took out a towel and shampoo, pulled her out, and started scrubbing her in the bathroom.
The faucet soon returned to normal. After two days in the spirit world, Qin Nuo finally enjoyed afortable shower.
"Facial cleanser, face mask, body wash, and bath towel! Oh my gosh!!"
After Qin Nuo finished showering, Liu Jiaqi was still rummaging through the box, thrilled as if she had found a treasure.
In this environment, these items were indeed treasures for a cleanliness-loving girl, more important than life-saving food.
"You take your time, I''m going to sleep."
"Remember, don''t open the door randomly again. I don''t want to be groped by a mysterious hand in the middle of the night!"
With that, Qin Nuo fell asleep.
Liu Jiaqi nodded sheepishly, then grabbed some bath products and dashed into the bathroom.
The night passed without incident.
The next day, Qin Nuo and Liu Jiaqi arrived at the restaurant early.
Pinhio sat on the puppet stand, waiting for them.
"Today, employee 3699''s position remains as a server, with a task of delivering 7 orders to meet the standard."
"Employee 3697, today''s position is an intern chef. You must personally cook two dishes requested by the guests and achieve at least an average rating toplete the task!"
Chef?
Qin Nuo was taken aback.
Liu Jiaqi''s eyes widened.
Qin Nuo''s expression turned grim. Was this targeting him?
Just yesterday, they gave him an excellent employee badge!
The mortality rate for chefs was undoubtedly higher than for servers. Suddenly asking Qin Nuo to cook two dishes, both without negative reviews, was more than just pressure¡ªit was bullying!
Pinhio didn''t care what Qin Nuo thought, simply saying, "The reward is substantial!"
With that, he left.
"Qin Nuo," Liu Jiaqi looked at Qin Nuo with concern.
Qin Nuo remained calm, "It''s just cooking, I''m quite good at it."
"Don''t worry about me, focus on your own task."
After Liu Jiaqi left, Qin Nuo followed the instructions to the storage room and changed from his employee uniform into a chef''s outfit.
It fit quite well, though it was as dirty as ever.
"You have been assigned to Table 2. Please proceed to Table 2 and prepare the dishes as requested by the guest!"
Without much thought, Qin Nuo got up and left the room.
When he reached the restaurant and saw the guest at Table 2, Qin Nuo''s face instantly fell.
At Table 2, a little girl in a rose-patterned dress was sucking on a lollipop, swinging herce-socked legs in boredom.
Wasn''t she the Half-Ghost girl from yesterday!
Remembering how she crushed the chef just because the dish was too sweet, cold sweat broke out on Qin Nuo''s forehead.
Could he be this unlucky?
"Human, why are you staring at me?" The little girl tilted her head, staring at Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo calmed himself, "I''m the chef preparing your meal today."
"Oh, so you''re brave, a human cooking for me. Did you see what happened to the chef yesterday?" The little girl rested her chin on her hands, smiling mischievously at Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo was embarrassed. He wanted to say he was very brave, but seeing the girl''s innocent smile, he suppressed the urge to joke.
"This is my menu, can you make it?"
Qin Nuo took it and nced at it. It was a caramel tea with milk, a very ordinary afternoon tea.
However, Qin Nuo couldn''t figure out why the chef yesterday failed with this dish.
Something wasn''t right, definitely not right.
Qin Nuo looked up, staring at the little girl, and activated the Eye of Analysis.
"Eye of Analysis: When I was little, my mom made me a caramel tea with milk. My mischievous sister secretly cut her hair and sprinkled it on the tea. After drinking it, my stomach felt like it was pierced by countless needles, and I was in pain all night."
"Butter, I found myself liking this pain. This perverse hobby made me secretly cut my hair and sprinkle it on the tea every time. The excruciating pain made me toss and turn in bed, but it also satisfied a certain psychological thrill."
"After my mom disappeared, the only thing I remembered of her was the caramel tea with milk."
Goodness, drinking tea with milk and adding hair!
Qin Nuo wasn''t well-read, but he knew what it felt like to swallow hair fragments.
This little girl looked pure and innocent, yet she had such a perverse hobby!
The chef probably never figured out that this simple tea wasn''t about tasting good, but about causing her pain!
He died unjustly.
"Do I look good, big brother?" The little girl suddenly smiled.
Qin Nuo''s expression changed slightly, "Wait a moment."
Leaving the restaurant, he quickly headed to the kitchen.
The chefs were already busy, none of them paying attention to Qin Nuo, each focused on their own dishes, with various exotic ingredients being brought to the counter.
Finding tea with milk in the kitchen was rtively easy.
Making tea with milk didn''t require much skill, just mixing the ingredients and heating or chilling them.
When it was almost ready, Qin Nuo cut a lock of his own bangs, chopped it finely, and mixed it into the tea.
A nearby chef, witnessing his inhumane action, looked at him in shock, "Human, are you serious?"
Qin Nuo ignored him, ted the dish, and carried it out.
In the restaurant, many guests were watching the little girl''s table.
After all, yesterday''s scene was still fresh in their minds!
Liu Jiaqi was also watching, silently praying for Qin Nuo.
The dish was soon served, and seeing it was a human, many guests showed excited smiles.
Unlike yesterday, their favorite was the sight of human blood sttering in the restaurant.
The fresh scent of blood could whet their appetites.
"Please enjoy your meal," Qin Nuo gestured for her to enjoy.
The little girl crouched on the chair, curiously examining the tea like a kitten, andmented.
"Your dish looks worse than yesterday''s!"
Qin Nuo remained calm, "Appearance isn''t everything, you''ll know once you taste it."
The little girl tilted her head, looking at Qin Nuo with some surprise, "You''re quite confident."
With that, she popped the lollipop out of her cherry lips and took a sip from the porcin bowl.
Instantly, the entire restaurant fell silent.
It seemed all the guests were waiting for the little girl''s verdict.
Some were excited, others anxious...
Chapter 14: Half-faced ghost, scary girl!
The little girl raised her cute eyebrows, her cherry-like lips pouting slightly. Suddenly, as if she discovered something, her eyes lit up, and she continued to lift the porcin bowl, drinking in big gulps.
Her expression was excited, and after finishing, she stuck out her tongue to lick, not leaving a single drop of the tea with milk in the bowl.
The guests were all stunned.
How delicious could it be?
The sharp pain from her stomach made the little girl show a blissful and satisfied expression, murmuring with immense enjoyment, "This is the taste!"
She opened her eyes, looking at Qin Nuo with some surprise, "How did youe up with this?"
She was naturally referring to the crushed hair.
Qin Nuo coughed lightly and said in a low voice, "Actually, I have this kind of hobby too."
The little girl was delighted, as if she had found apanion, andughed, "Then let me treat you to a portion too!"Qin Nuo chuckled dryly, "No need, I secretly tried it in the kitchen."
Their whispered conversation seemed to be sharing little secrets with each other.
The surrounding guests were utterly confused.
"Congrattions to the host for gaining 10 favorability points from the half-ghost little girl and obtaining the raincoat of the Rainy Night Killer ghost creature!"
"Killer''s Raincoat: Wearing it can cover human aura and transform you into one of the ghosts. No more worries about walking on eggshells!"
"Note: The cover effect is limited to ordinary ghosts, ineffective against high-level ghosts!"
"Congrattions to the host for gaining 20 ghost power points!"
As expected of a half-ghost, the rewards are doubled.
"Not bad, I''m very satisfied with your tea."
"This is your tip."
The little girl flicked a ghost currency note into Qin Nuo''s hand.
A ghost currency note with a value of 500!
This little girl, so young, yet full of a richdy''s aura!
The surrounding guests were shocked, their terrifying faces full of surprise.
This human was actually unharmed!
Liu Jiaqi also breathed a sigh of relief. Qin Nuo was now her only spiritual support; if he died too, she felt she wouldn''tst long.
Not disturbing the little girl''s meal, Qin Nuo stepped back, focusing on the second table''s guest.
Table 7.
Qin Nuo walked to a table in the far corner, where the guest was a ghost with half of its face burned.
The other half of the body had a human aura.
Another half-ghost!
Qin Nuo was slightly stunned, then his nerves inexplicably tensed.
The half-faced ghost had saliva hanging from its mouth, its eyes staring at Qin Nuo with a kind of excited madness.
"What''s wrong with this half-ghost?" Qin Nuo''s mouth twitched, feeling a vague unease inside.
"Guest, what would you like?" Qin Nuo calmed his uneasy heart and asked.
"This is my dish."
"Make it well, or else you''ll be my dish!" The half-faced ghost pushed the menu over, its sickly eyes never leaving Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo picked up the menu, his brows furrowing uncontrobly.
"Baby Poison Soup."
Qin Nuo said, "Sorry, the restaurant doesn''t have such ingredients."
"No problem, I brought the ingredients."
The half-faced ghost waved its hand like performing a magic trick, and a baby appeared on the table.
It was a baby girl, chubby and white, like a porcin doll.
At this moment, she was opening her big, watery eyes, her little hands grabbing at the air, smiling at Qin Nuo with cooing sounds.
"Begin." The half-faced ghost looked at Qin Nuo with a mocking gaze.
Qin Nuo picked up the baby girl, looking at the still suckling baby, his heart felt as heavy as if it were filled with lead.
Qin Nuo shifted his gaze to the half-faced ghost.
"Trigger Eye of Analysis: He was born a demon, with 18 baby girls having met their end at his hands. When this perverted cannibal was about to be punished by thew, he was unexpectedly sent to the Horror World and made a pact with a ghost."
"After bing a half-ghost, his perverted desires grew even more intense, with eating humans and ghosts being his hobbies..."
Qin Nuo''s face turned icy.
The look in this half-faced ghost''s eyes.
It probably wanted to eat not only the baby in Qin Nuo''s arms but him as well!
"I won''t do it." Qin Nuo immediately shook his head.
"Thene with me!" The half-faced ghost was not surprised.
It was just looking for an excuse to add another meal.
After all, in the Horror World, humans were rare food!
Seeing the half-faced ghost stand up, Qin Nuo held the baby in one arm and gripped the Bone-Crushing Hammer with the other.
At this moment, his shoulder suddenly felt heavy.
Manager Pinhio appeared beside Qin Nuo, looking at the half-faced ghost, and said, "Guest, the restaurant indeed doesn''t have a human baby dish."
The half-faced ghost paused, seemingly not expecting the restaurant''s upper-level ghost to speak for a human!
Qin Nuo was also surprised.
After all, when Wang Yang was taken away, Pinhio didn''t even speak for him and even offered a membership discount!
Could it be because of his good performance?
As a rare excellent employee, it helped to say a word?
"The menu doesn''t have it, but that doesn''t mean it can''t be made, right?" The half-faced ghost didn''t intend to let go of Qin Nuo, the prey, smiling sinisterly.
"Guest, please don''t make things difficult for our employee." Pinhio saw through the half-faced ghost''s intentions and didn''t force Qin Nuo to make the dish, continuing to speak.
The other half of the half-faced ghost''s face suddenly burned, and a strong ghost aura surged like a flood.
"I know the ghost on the second floor of your restaurant. Should I call it down to talk to you?"
The half-faced ghost suddenly looked at Pinhio with amusement.
A ghost from the second floor of the restaurant?
Qin Nuo was stunned.
Hearing this, Pinhio suddenly fell silent.
After a moment, Pinhio said, "So it''s a friend from the second floor, esteemed guest, forgive my earlier offense. You may deal with this human as you wish."
With that, it turned and disappeared.
"???"
Qin Nuo was dumbfounded.
Damn! This Pinhio is too realistic, isn''t it?
The goodwill he had just developed for Pinhio vanished instantly!
"No one can save you, juste with me!" The Faceless Ghost''srge hand reached for Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo took a step back, frowning, about to pull out the Bone-Crushing Hammer, when he suddenly noticed the baby in his arms was gone.
"Wow, so cute, human babies are just like little kittens, so adorable!"
Somehow, the baby ended up in the hands of the little girl in the red dress, who wasughing and teasing the baby.
"Half-ghost?"
The half-faced ghost squinted its eyes, showing a hint of surprise, but didn''t care.
"Little girl, didn''t your mother tell you it''s very impolite to touch someone else''s food?"
The little girl''s attention was entirely on the baby in her arms, not even ncing at the half-faced ghost, "It''s mine now."
In the restaurant, the atmosphere instantly froze.
All the guests stared at the two half-ghosts, wisely staying silent.
The half-faced ghost, however, was unusually excited, "Interesting, quite bold."
"Speaking of which, I haven''t tried what half-human half-ghost tastes like!"
The half-faced ghost''s face twisted, its eyes filled with insane greed, and its long tongue licked its cracked lips like a snake.
"You talk too much."
The little girl raised her eyelids slightly.
Then, the Faceless Ghost''s head flew off.
Immediately, its body seemed to be cut by some terrifying sharp weapon, showing countless cuts.
In an instant, it turned into a pile of meat chunks scattered on the ground!
The bizarre scene made the restaurant even more deathly silent.
Whether human or ghost, no one saw what happened.
Qin Nuo was shocked, noticing that although there was no wind, the little girl''s hair was flying and swaying.
He stared at the flying strands of hair.
Perhaps due to the Eye of Analysis, Qin Nuo suddenly saw the little girl''s face transform into a terrifying woman''s face like Medusa!
Chapter 15: The ghost on the second floor needs to vent!
"Uh..."
The half-faced ghost, now just a head, couldn''t see what had happened.
The head rolled on the ground, staring with blood-red eyes at the little girl, its voice almost a roar.
"Little brat, today you must die!!"
Crash!!
As soon as the words fell.
A dull thud erupted in the restaurant, and immediately, the ceiling began to shake, countless cracks appeared, and ster fell in chunks.
All the guests looked terrified, quickly standing up to leave the restaurant.
The guests from the second floor wereing down!The half-faced ghost wasn''t joking; it indeed knew the guests from the second floor.
And their status was extremely high!
At the staircase leading to the second floor, a thick ghost aura emerged, and the handrails visibly corroded, clearly indicating that something terrifying wasing down.
Qin Nuo was stunned.
What kind of monsters were these second-floor guests?
Did they need such a grand entrance just toe downstairs?
"Huang Liang, I was just having a meal, and you''ve brought me trouble again?"
A voice echoed in the first-floor restaurant.
"I just ordered a dish, but this rat wouldn''t make it, and this little brat stole my ingredients and destroyed my body!"
The faceless ghost seemed very afraid of the ghost from the second floor, speaking in a panic, trying to appear innocent.
The ck aura in the hallway remained silent.
In the restaurant, all the guests held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
They looked at the ck aura with fear and humility.
Qin Nuo had seen this look before.
Just like when Wang Yang looked at them.
Soon.
The ghost from the second floor seemed to have made a decision, speaking in a hoarse voice: "This is thest time I''ll stand up for you, there won''t be a next time."
As the voice fell, a witheredrge hand reached directly for the little girl!
Crash!
The chair and table where the little girl was sitting flew out.
All the guests almost witnessed the scene of the girl being crushed into a pulp.
However, in the next second, the hand recoiled as if electrocuted!
A figure had appeared in front of the little girl at some unknown time.
Wrapped in bandages from head to toe, wearing a suit, exuding an eerie ghost aura.
"Miss, are you alright?" the suited bandage ghost asked.
The ghost from the second floor suddenly realized something, its voice low and tinged with fear: "Who are you people?"
The little girl ignored her, holding a baby, and smiled, "I''ll call you Little One from now on, okay? Come home with sister, there''s a big sister waiting too!"
The disregard made the ghost from the second floor even more apprehensive, continuing to speak: "I won''t interfere in your matters, I apologize for the earlier offense!"
"I''ll leave right away!"
With that, the ck aura rapidly dissipated, and the ghost from the second floor retreated upstairs as if fleeing.
The little girl gestured to the suited bandage ghost, who then walked towards the staircase and went up to the second floor.
"See you next time, big brother."
The little girl winked at Qin Nuo.
The faceless ghost, now just a head on the ground, looked at the little girl in horror: "You..."
Before it could finish speaking, the little girl stomped down, and the head exploded like a rotten watermelon, scattering debris everywhere.
"Wee next time."
After the little girl left, the atmosphere in the restaurant still hadn''t eased.
The guests all looked towards the staircase leading to the second floor.
Soon, the suited bandage ghost came down the stairs, holding a bloody, lifeless head, clearly belonging to the ghost from the second floor.
As it descended, only its footsteps echoed in the restaurant, and the guests kept their distance.
As it passed Qin Nuo, the suited bandage ghost suddenly stopped and handed a card to Qin Nuo.
"The miss said you cane here if you need anything."
Qin Nuo took the card, which bore a ck and gold rose, both enchanting and ghostly!
Below was an address, and nothing else.
When he looked up again, the suited bandage ghost had vanished.
The restaurant seemed ustomed to such urrences, quickly returning to normal, and the guests resumed their meals as if nothing had happened.
"Qin Nuo, are you alright?" Liu Jiaqi hurried over, grabbing Qin Nuo and asking worriedly.
"Just a small scene, did you see me panic?"
"But, your pants are wet..."
"That''s just some soup I identally spilled."
Soon, the closing bell rang.
The restaurant guests gradually stood up and left the restaurant one after another.
Once the restaurant was quiet, Pinhio ttered into the restaurant.
First, it evaluated Liu Jiaqi''s performance today, then awarded her two 100 ghost currency notes.
Then, it turned to Qin Nuo: "Your performance today was poor, no rewards for you."
"And, because of you, the restaurant suffered some losses, so you''ll face appropriate punishment!"
Hearing this, Qin Nuo''s face darkened.
No rewards was one thing.
But punishment?
"The guests at the first table were satisfied with my dish," Qin Nuo said coldly.
"But your performance at the second table was terrible," Pinhio replied.
"That ghost never intended to eat my dish; it wanted to eat me."
"So no matter how well I cooked, it wouldn''t be satisfied!" Qin Nuo argued.
"Regardless, you caused the restaurant losses. Tomorrow, I''ll announce your punishment. Go home and rest well!"
With that, Pinhio left, but not before leaving a parting remark at the corner.
"Also, remember you''re an employee of the restaurant, just a rat, know your ce!"
Thest sentence carried a clear warning.
Qin Nuo''s face remained sullen, saying nothing, but feeling extremely frustrated inside.
Damn it!
One day, when I have the means, I''ll buy this restaurant and chop you down, Pinhio, for firewood!
"Qin Nuo, cheer up, I''ll treat you to something today, eat whatever you want," Liu Jiaqi said, holding two ghost currency notes, trying to cheer Qin Nuo up.
Qin Nuo waved his hand: "No need for you to treat, someone else will."
Liu Jiaqi was puzzled.
Besides the two of them, who else was there?
Qin Nuo walked out of the restaurant and headed straight for the vending machine in the hallway.
Last time, it was sawed all over by Qin Nuo''s chainsaw, and now, patched up, there were almost no traces of damage.
However¡ª
Qin Nuo approached without a word, pulled out the Bone-Crushing Hammer, and started smashing it wildly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
ss shattered, metal dented, fragments scattered!
The vending machine ghost roared in anger: "Damn it, what did I do to provoke you again, which nerve did I hit wrong?!"
"You didn''t provoke me, I''m just in a bad mood, and I need to vent."
"Old buddy, thanks!"
With that, Qin Nuo continued to smash, releasing all his pent-up frustration.
"Screw you! Why should I care if you''re in a bad mood?"
"Brat, don''t think I''m easy to bully, if you don''t stop, I won''t be polite!"
The vending machine ghost tried to fight back but was kicked back into the corner by Qin Nuo, obediently taking the beating.
"This human, his ghost power has increased again!" the vending machine ghost was shocked to find it was no match for Qin Nuo anymore.
Facing Qin Nuo''s destruction of its body, the vending machine ghost was both angry and frustrated.
In just a few days, the tables had turned!
Who would have thought, just three days ago, the vending machine ghost could still toy with Qin Nuo like a rat!
After a while.
Having vented, Qin Nuo felt much better, put away the Bone-Crushing Hammer, sat on the ground, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Patting the battered vending machine, he said, "My hand''s sore from smashing, give me a bottle of water, my throat''s dry!"
The vending machine ghost nearly went crazy at this.
Ah!!
This is just too much bullying of a ghost!!
Chapter 16: Ingredient No. 8, restaurant outing!
After the vending machine treated him, Qin Nuo went to bed early.
Pinhio said the punishment would be announced tomorrow, and based on spection, it would definitely be rted to tomorrow''s work.
No matter what, it wouldn''t be easy for him!
With the worst in mind, Qin Nuo fell asleep.
The next morning.
The rm clock doll''s terrifying scream woke Qin Nuo.
As soon as he got up, he noticed Liu Jiaqi was already awake. Qin Nuo saw she looked a bit off: "Didn''t you sleepst night?"
"Not well, I had a nightmare... I dreamt you wouldn''te back today, and I''d be left alone in the dorm." Liu Jiaqi hugged her knees and said.
It''s not that she had feelings for Qin Nuo.In this terrifying world with no one to rely on, Qin Nuo had be her only support, her mental pir.
"You must have had insomnia too, right? After all, Pinhio is going to punish you today," Liu Jiaqi said.
It''s like thest night of a death row inmate; who could sleep?
"Nope, I slept quite well." Qin Nuo stretchedzily.
"......"
At that moment, there was a sudden knock on the door.
Qin Nuo got up to open it, but there was no one outside. Looking down, he saw it was Pinhio.
"Let''s go."
"Where to?"
"You just need to follow me," Pinhio said directly, turning to leave.
Liu Jiaqi hesitated in the back, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
Qin Nuo nodded at her, said nothing more, and followed.
He was also quite anxious.
The incident yesterday was indeed big, but the main conflict wasn''t on him.
Qin Nuo realized then.
They just needed a scapegoat.
And besides him, a humble human, there seemed to be no one else.
Following Pinhio, they soon arrived at a back kitchen room.
Pinhio handed a piece of paper to Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo took it, opened the note, and saw only an address and something called "Ingredient No. 8."
What does this mean?
Qin Nuo was puzzled.
"This is your punishment, and also your job for today."
"Next, you need to leave the restaurant, find the supermarket at the address, and bring back Ingredient No. 8 to the restaurant."
"By doing so, you can make amends and receive a considerable reward," Pinhio said.
Buying ingredients!
Qin Nuo looked up and asked, "I go alone?"
"You go alone!" Pinhio nodded his wooden head.
Qin Nuo suddenly sneered, "Honestly, how dangerous is this?"
"Among the previous employees who made the restaurant lose money, all had to buy ingredients to make up for the loss."
"You are the 55th; of the 54 before you, 5 came back alive."
A survival rate of less than ten percent!
"What happens if I refuse?"
"Immediate execution," Pinhio said.
"I advise you to choose thetter. With the little ghost power you have, you have no chance of survival if you resist."
"Following our restaurant''s rules gives you at least a hope of returning alive!"
"Ingredient No. 8 is very important to us."
"It''s an essential ingredient for the menu of a distinguished guest on the second floor!"
"If you bring it back, your employment term will end early, and you can even get a position above supervisor, receiving the restaurant''s protection."
This reward was very tempting!
But the more tempting it was, the more it indicated how dangerous and difficult it was!
"What else can I do but agree with both hands and feet?" Qin Nuo shrugged.
Disagreeing meant dying now.
Agreeing felt like a slow death!
Bang!!
Just as he finished speaking, the door was opened.
It wasn''t yet time for business, and outside was a gray haze, with a biting cold wind rushing in.
"Set off."
Holding the note, Qin Nuo said, "It says I can take a bus to the destination. The bus fare isn''t reimbursed by the restaurant?"
Pinhio didn''t answer.
"Alright, I have to cover the fare myself."
Wrapped in a thin shirt, Qin Nuo stepped out the restaurant''s back door.
As soon as he stepped out, the door shut instantly.
Qin Nuo looked up at the gray sky.
Come to think of it, he hadn''t seen what the Horror World looked like with his own eyes, had he?
It was still early, and since he exited through the back door, Qin Nuo didn''t attract much attention from the ghosts.
But to be safe, Qin Nuo put on the killer''s raincoat in ane.
The human scent was concealed, turning him into one of the ghosts in the Horror World.
Leaving the restaurant as a human would be like a rat crossing the street; he might not even make it to the bus before being done for.
The killer''s raincoat was Qin Nuo''s greatest protection!
Out of thene and onto the road, Qin Nuo finally saw the face of this so-called Horror World.
Skyscrapers, not unlike the human world.
Except, the streets and roads were deste, littered with wrecked cars, and piles of decaying flesh and meat emitted a foul stench.
Numerous crows and vultures circled the sky, and many were on the roadside, tearing and pecking at the rotten corpses.
A scene straight out of an apocalyptic world.
Walking along the roadside, Qin Nuo saw indistinct ck shadows and zombie-like ghosts approaching.
They looked at Qin Nuo with a certain curiosity but, smelling the foul ghost aura on him, averted their gaze and moved on.
"If not for this outfit, I''d have been torn apart by now," Qin Nuo thought to himself.
Following the road signs, Qin Nuo found the bus stop to his destination.
He sat on a bench, and next to him, an old man seemed to be waiting for the bus too.
The old man leaned on a cane, dozing off.
From the outside, Qin Nuo couldn''t find a trace of ghostly features on the old man.
But he knew very well that this old man was definitely not human!
He just hadn''t noticed it.
Perhaps, like that little girl, he was a half-ghost too.
Speaking of the little girl, Qin Nuo thought of asking her for help.
But looking at the address she left, goodness, it would take over twenty bus stops, seven more than his current destination, quite far.
To avoid exposure, Qin Nuo didn''t chat with the seemingly normal old man.
Soon, a woman with a child arrived, holding a baby and a bag of groceries.
The baby''s skin was gray, ying with a human head, giggling.
The woman''s bag of groceries contained chopped limbs, one finger still wearing a ring.
Qin Nuo suddenly realized.
The Horror World might not be so different from the human world.
Ghosts had their own lives, their own jobs.
The difference was, what was chopped on the cutting board, bought at the market, wasn''t poultry or ducks, but humans.
ng ng.
The bus arrived, number 404, the one Qin Nuo was waiting for.
He quickly got up, and the old man and woman followed suit, getting on the same bus as Qin Nuo.
"Nether Vige arrived, passengers please exit from the rear door, next stop is Blood Grudge Cemetery, passengers needing to alight, please prepare!"
The old man and woman got on, putting ghost currency into the fare box.
Qin Nuo calmed himself, followed them, and put the prepared ghost currency into the fare box.
Just as he was about to leave, the ghost driver suddenly called out to Qin Nuo in an eerie voice, "Hold on!!"
Chapter 17: Sheep enter the wolfs den, bus conflict!
Qin Nuo stopped in his tracks, turning stiffly to look at the driver.
The driver''s face was deathly pale, staring directly at Qin Nuo, and from his cracked lips came a few hoarse words: "You put in too many coins."
Qin Nuo secretly breathed a sigh of relief and calmly said, "It''s okay, I have plenty of money."
The driver said nothing more, closed the door, and started the bus.
There weren''t many passengers on the bus.
Apart from the elderly and women with children who boarded with Qin Nuo, there were four other passengers.
Two were ghostly and transparent, and two were solid.
One of the solid figures had a terrifying seam running down the center of his face, with numerous steel nails embedded in his head.
Clearly, this was a ghost.The other solid figure was dressed in a suit, with a lean build, a square face, and slicked-back hair, gazing nonchntly out the window at the passing scenery.
Qin Nuo looked at him, feeling a shiver inside.
A human presence!
Not a Half-Ghost; this man in the suit was a real human!
With his Ghost Power, Qin Nuo could roughly distinguish between humans and ghosts.
A yer from another area?
Why wasn''t he afraid, daring to ride this ghost bus alone?
Qin Nuo was shocked and puzzled.
The elderly and women with children who had just boarded also noticed the human on the bus.
They scrutinized the man in the suit, then seemed to realize something, and withdrew their gazes, appearing wary.
"Mommy, I want it!"
The ghost baby in the woman''s arms stared at the man in the suit, as if seeing something amusing, reaching out with tiny hands to grab him.
The woman held the baby''s hands, turning away to prevent it from causing trouble.
"There must be things I don''t know about in this Horror World, or some rules I haven''t touched upon," Qin Nuo pondered to himself.
After all, it was his first time entering the Horror World, a genuine newbie yer!
Back on Earth, Qin Nuo had seen news reports more than once.
Those national-level veteran yers could freely enter horror games,plete instances, and earn rewards.
For those experienced yers, horror games were not nightmares but dream worlds that constantly offered them benefits.
"We newbies think every day about how to survive and return, always on edge."
"Those veteran yers have long found the essence of ying these games, freely shuttling between the horror and real worlds."
Qin Nuo sighed inwardly as the bus arrived at a stop.
"Blood Grudge Cemetery, please disembark in an orderly fashion. The next stop is the Underworld Hotel, passengers preparing to disembark, please get ready!"
The man in the suit stood up, nced down at Qin Nuo as he passed, smiled, and then exited through the back door.
"I''ve been discovered."
Qin Nuo smiled wryly, unsurprised.
This raincoat, as a ghost-level item, wasn''t very high-level. More powerful ghosts and humans could easily see through it and discern Qin Nuo''s true identity.
At the subsequent stops, passengers on the bus were reced one after another.
Fortunately, none of these ghosts discovered Qin Nuo''s identity as they passed by him.
Suddenly, Qin Nuo felt the hood of his raincoat being tugged by someone.
Qin Nuo quickly held down the hood, turning to see the ghost baby from earlier, staring curiously at his raincoat.
It reached out again to tug!
"Be good, Xiaoying." The woman gently stroked the ghost baby''s forehead but made no move to stop it.
Qin Nuo pulled out the Bone-Crushing Hammer, the ck blood on it dripping onto the seat.
"Control your child!"
Qin Nuo spoke in a low voice, his tone carrying a murderous intent and ferocity.
The woman was startled, seemingly realizing Qin Nuo was not to be trifled with, and quickly held the ghost baby''s hands, sitting back down.
Qin Nuo secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
That was close.
Almost exposed!
Qin Nuo nced at the bus stop sign; there were only two more stops to his destination.
He felt anxious, growing increasingly uneasy.
The more passengers there were on the bus, the more dangerous his situation became.
The next stop arrived.
Suddenly, half of the passengers got off, and the once-crowded bus became quiet again.
Qin Nuo breathed a sigh of relief.
Just one more stop until he could get off.
He was almost safe...
Only one passenger boarded, with long, wet hair dragging on the floor, a ghastly white body dripping with water.
The bus floor was instantly soaked.
The ghost driver didn''t care, closed the door, and started the bus.
"A water ghost," Qin Nuo thought, guessing that this ghost might have drowned.
The water ghost didn''t rush to find a seat but sniffed the air, revealing a creepy smile beneath its wet hair: "I smell a rat!"
Qin Nuo''s expression changed.
He looked up sharply, and the water ghost''s eyes locked onto him.
Its mouth cracked open, eyes filled with greed, and its crimson tongue dripped with saliva!
He was discovered!
Qin Nuo''s body tensed.
But the water ghost didn''t expose Qin Nuo; instead, it found a seat and sat down, its greedy eyes never leaving Qin Nuo, afraid its prey would escape.
Five minutester.
The bus stopped, and Qin Nuo immediately stood up, ready to get off.
The water ghost suddenly blocked his path, grinning sinisterly: "Sit back down!"
Qin Nuo looked at him coldly: "This is my stop."
"I said sit back down, little rat, don''t you understand what I''m saying?"
The words "little rat" caught the attention of the passengers.
They all looked up, their eyes falling on Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo''s face darkened; this water ghost clearly wasn''t nning to let him go.
Under the raincoat, his fingers tightly gripped the Bone-Crushing Hammer.
He wasn''t afraid of the water ghost.
But if he made a move against it on the bus, his identity would undoubtedly be exposed.
The ghost driver also turned to look at Qin Nuo and the water ghost, then closed the rear door that had been opened.
Some passengers began to stir.
They vaguely guessed something.
A rat had snuck onto the bus!
"Trouble, amb in a wolf''s den."
As the atmosphere on the bus gradually became tense, Qin Nuo''s expression also turned increasingly grim.
The water ghost stared sinisterly at Qin Nuo: "Rat, I''ll say it again, sit back down!"
Qin Nuo didn''t move. Sitting back down meant not only missing his stop but also facing unknown dangers ahead, which he couldn''t imagine!
At the critical moment, the water ghost felt a tap on its shoulder and turned to see a shadow behind it.
"It''s mine," the shadow said expressionlessly.
"Yours? What proof..."
The water ghost sneered, but before it could finish, the shadow suddenly raised a hand, its fingers gripping the water ghost''s face.
Sharp nails pierced the water ghost''s face, and ck blood sttered.
Before the water ghost could resist, the water on its body quickly evaporated, releasing steam.
Then, terrifying mes engulfed it, and its ghastly white flesh charred and burned at a visible speed.
Amidst a horrific scream, the water ghost was burned into a charred corpse.
The shadow crushed the water ghost''s skull, and the headless body fell to the ground, shattering into pieces of ck charcoal.
The shadow looked at the ghost driver and coldly said, "Open the door."
The ghost driver, showing a hint of fear, opened the rear door of the bus.
Without giving Qin Nuo a chance to speak, the shadow pulled him off the bus.
Chapter 18: Passive tasks, quirky couple!
After the bus disappeared at the end of the road, Qin Nuo finally saw who the shadow was.
It was the customer from the second day at the restaurant, the Burning Ghost who regained his memory because of the Tequ Qin Nuo gave him!
"You''ve got guts," the Burning Ghost said coldly, shedding his terrifying Ghost Aura.
Qin Nuo knew exactly what he meant and replied with a bitter smile, "When you''re under someone else''s roof, you have to follow their rules. I made a mistake and was punished by the restaurant to go out and buy ingredients."
"If you don''tplete the task, you''ll die just the same."
Despite his words, Qin Nuo was still shocked inside.
During the conflict on the bus, the Burning Ghost had crushed the Water Ghost with one hand, silencing all the ghosts on the bus.
The Water Ghost could see through Qin Nuo''s disguise, indicating its strength wasn''t low, yet it was wiped out without any resistance in front of the Burning Ghost!
Qin Nuo couldn''t even begin to imagine the Burning Ghost''s power."Anyway, thank you!" Qin Nuo sincerely expressed his gratitude.
The Burning Ghost didn''t say much and asked, "What do you need to buy?"
Qin Nuo handed the note directly to the Burning Ghost.
After reading it, the Burning Ghost''s eyes narrowed slightly.
"What''s wrong?" Qin Nuo asked.
"Ingredient number 8 is only avable at the Specter Supermarket."
"That''s where I''m headed."
"The owner there is difficult to deal with, and ingredient number 8 isn''t an ordinary ingredient. If you only use Ghost Currency, you probably won''t be able to buy it from him," the Burning Ghost said.
"If Ghost Currency won''t work, then what should I use?" Qin Nuo was taken aback.
The Burning Ghost shook his head slightly, "That''s something you''ll have to figure out yourself."
He stepped aside and pointed to a street behind him, "Walk 100 meters down this street, and at the corner, you''ll find the Specter Supermarket."
Qin Nuo knew that the Burning Ghost couldn''t help much with buying the ingredients. Regardless, the fact that he helped Qin Nuo out of a tight spot was already quite rare for a ghost.
So, Qin Nuo thanked him once more.
"That Tequ you gave me was very important. Also, I don''t like owing favors, especially to humans," the Burning Ghost said lightly.
Qin Nuo smiled slightly, "Understood."
"Angel''s Kiss: You''ve gained +10 Favorability from the Burning Ghost and obtained Ghost Creature¡ªMeat of Taisui ¡Á2!"
"Meat of Taisui: A food that ghosts cannot resist, often fought over to the point of bloodshed for just a small piece."
Qin Nuo remembered seeing this item before, also known as Meat Lingzhi, a precious and expensive polymer that humans typically collect as antiques rather than consume.
In reality, the Meat of Taisui seen on the market is fake, as the existence of wild pure Taisui has never been proven in the biological world.
Legend has it that the elixir of immortality sought by Qin Shi Huang was the so-called wild Meat of Taisui, its mythical nature making it elusive and uncertain.
"I wonder if the piece I have is real or fake?" Qin Nuo thought to himself.
After the Burning Ghost left, Qin Nuo didn''t dwell on the Meat of Taisui. He organized his thoughts and headed down the street.
About five minutester, after turning the corner, he indeed saw arge supermarket.
On the deserted street, newspapers flew everywhere.
All the shops were closed, except for this supermarket.
Inside, it seemed quite deserted, the dim atmosphere making one''s skin crawl, deterring entry.
Qin Nuo, however, remainedposed and stepped forward.
As he stepped into the supermarket, a system voice echoed in his mind.
"Ding, passive mission triggered!"
"Detected that the host is in an area with hidden mergeable ghost creatures. The host must merge the ghost creatures within 24 hours."
"The host has automatically acquired the merging ghost physique¡ªYin-Yang Phantom Body!" (Can merge up to 3 A+ level or lower ghost creatures!)
"Uponpletion, a level box will be randomly awarded!" (ssified as Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, Obsidian)
"Mission failure penalty: Confiscation of all ghost creatures!"
"It can trigger passive missions too?" Qin Nuo was stunned.
Before even officially entering the supermarket, he already had two mandatory tasks!
The penalty was the confiscation of all ghost creatures.
For Qin Nuo, who had lost the restaurant''s protection, it was akin to losing all life-saving measures.
"The arrow is already on the string, no turning back now."
With that thought, Qin Nuo walked into the supermarket.
The supermarket''s business seemed not too good, much worse than the Nether Springs Restaurant, with arge amount of goods piled on the shelves and flies buzzing everywhere.
At the counter, a middle-aged many on a rattan chair, holding a bottle of alcohol, drunk.
"Human or ghost?" Qin Nuo couldn''t discern the middle-aged man''s identity.
"Boss, I''d like to buy an ingredient."
The middle-aged man opened his eyes, nced at Qin Nuo, and suddenly shouted, "Filthy rat, shed your ugly disguise and get out of my shop!"
Qin Nuo smiled bitterly, suddenly feeling that the killer''s raincoat was quite shoddy.
But havinge this far, how could he leave so easily?
Removing the killer''s raincoat, he continued, "Boss, I''m just here to buy something and then I''ll leave."
"See that empty spot on the shelf? If you say one more word, your head will be hanging there!"
Qin Nuo frowned.
No wonder the Burning Ghost said this boss was difficult to talk to.
This was beyond difficult, it was like facing an enemy!
With such customer service, having any customers at all was a miracle!
Qin Nuo remained unfazed.
The boss suddenly stood up.
At that moment, a middle-aged woman suddenly walked over.
She grabbed a fruit knife from the table and stabbed it directly into the boss''s neck, causing him to topple to the ground.
Qin Nuo was startled.
What the hell!
Such intensity right off the bat, what kind of grudge is this?
"Sorry about that, I''m the Boss Lady here. That old bastard can''t speak properly and has scared away countless customers."
"In our shop, we don''t care if you''re human or ghost. Once you''re in, you''re our customer."
The Boss Lady appeared to be around thirty, with a kind face and a friendly tone.
Of course, if it weren''t for that knife earlier, Qin Nuo would have thought she was human, and a normal one at that.
"What do you want to buy?"
Qin Nuo was about to speak when the boss suddenly stood up, pulled out the fruit knife from his neck, and then stabbed it fiercely into the Boss Lady''s head!
The Boss Lady was unfazed, even maintaining a bright smile on her face.
"Stupid woman, rebelling?" the boss cursed.
The Boss Lady turned around, grabbed the boss, and threw him into a dark room.
Then, she took an axe from under the counter and followed him into the dark room.
After a while, intense fighting sounds and some tearing noises came from the room, sending chills down one''s spine.
About two minutester.
The Boss Lady came out, covered in blood, yet still polite, "Sorry for letting you see our family drama."
"It just proves that if you don''t discipline men harshly, they''ll never know who''s the real head of the household!"
"¡"
Qin Nuo''s mouth twitched slightly, agreeing, "Well said, well said."
"Alright, tell me what you want to buy."
Qin Nuo handed over the note.
Seeing ingredient number 8, the Boss Lady''s eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Chapter 19: Supermarket Thief, Protection Mechanism!
"Don''t you have it?" Qin Nuo watched the Boss Lady''s expression and asked.
"Why would a human like you need this?" The Boss Lady handed the note back, questioning him.
"Actually, I''m an employee at the Nether Springs Restaurant, and they sent me to buy this kind of ingredient," Qin Nuo exined.
The Boss Ladyughed, "That''s as good as a death sentence for you."
"What do you mean?"
"Even if I gave you Ingredient No. 8, a human like you wouldn''t be able to take it back, and you''d lose your life in the process." The Boss Lady sat down and poured herself a ss of water.
"This ingredient is extremely dangerous. Humans can hardly handle it and might even be controlled by it."
Qin Nuo was shocked.
Damn it!Is this an ingredient or a monster? This sounds terrifying!
"Besides, I won''t sell it to you."
"Why not?"
"It''s too precious. Those guys at the Nether Springs Restaurant send an employee over every now and then to buy Ingredients No. 1 to 8."
"This stuff can''t be bought with just Ghost Currency," the Boss Lady said indifferently.
"If you''re only here to buy this, you might as well go back."
Qin Nuo looked troubled, "Going back means death for me too."
"Can I buy it with something other than Ghost Currency?"
The Boss Lady nced at Qin Nuo''s body and smiled, "Though you have a nice figure, I''m not interested in that."
"And human flesh isn''t worth much here."
Qin Nuo fell silent.
He suddenly understood.
The hardest part of this task wasn''t reaching the Specter Supermarket alive; it was that they simply wouldn''t sell Ingredient No. 8!
Perhaps that Pinhio guy never expected Qin Nuo to bring it back.
Bang! Bang!!
Suddenly, there was a loudmotion inside the supermarket.
From a distance, Qin Nuo saw a heap of goods flying around, shelves copsing, and that area bing aplete mess.
Bang!
The door to the dark room was flung open, and the injured boss rushed out, grabbing a bone-chopping knife and shouting angrily, "That damn thief again, I''m going to chop it to pieces!!"
With that, he charged into the shelving area with the knife.
Not long after, he returned, looking disheveled.
Holding the knife, he gritted his teeth in anger.
"Idiot, don''t make the store messier!"
"If you were so capable, you would have caught it long ago. What are you messing around for now?" The Boss Lady tugged at her husband''s ear, scolding him.
The boss shed back at the Boss Lady''s arm with the knife, equally hot-tempered, "Damn it, all you do is criticize me. Why don''t you go catch it?"
The Boss Lady didn''t argue with him and went over to the shelves. Soon, a furious scream came, "It stole 8 items again, worth 500 Ghost Currency in total!"
Hearing this, Qin Nuo roughly understood what was happening.
A thief had actually sneaked into this supermarket?
And from the sound of it, this wasn''t the first time; it was a repeat offender.
"Can you tell me about it? Maybe I can help," Qin Nuo asked tentatively.
"You? Get lost, don''t get in my way!" The boss was very dismissive of Qin Nuo, or rather, dismissive of humans in general.
The Boss Lady came over, pushed the boss aside, and looked at Qin Nuo with a meaningful smile, "How about this, if you can help us catch that thief, I''ll sell you Ingredient No. 8!"
"Deal!" Qin Nuo agreed without hesitation.
What choice did he have besides agreeing?
The boss sneered twice but said nothing.
"Boss, give me two pieces of human donkey skin." A passing customer stopped and shouted.
"Can''t you get it yourself? No hands or feet?" The boss turned and cursed.
"Damn, such a rude business, why even open a store!" The ghost cursed and left.
The Boss Lady stabbed the boss in the back with a knife, her eyes fierce, "Do you want this store to keep running or not?"
Qin Nuo ignored the couple who kept stabbing each other and walked towards the shelves.
The supermarket was actually quiterge.
Just the arrangement of shelves alone numbered in the hundreds. As Qin Nuo walked inside, he found the goods either covered in dust or scattered on the floor, overall very sloppy, as if they had never been organized.
Suddenly, Qin Nuo heard some noise.
He quickly pinpointed the source of the sound, pulled out the Bone-Crushing Hammer, and turned to swing it.
"Brother, calm down!"
The figure hurriedly spoke up.
"A person?" Qin Nuo was startled, smelling a human scent from the other.
"Yes, a person, I''m a yer here, a stock clerk, named Chen Yuan. Like you, I was sent here to participate in the Horror Game," the man said with a smile.
"Stock clerk..."
Qin Nuo looked at the messy shelves and the chaos on the ground, "This is your stocking work?"
Given the boss''s temper, always ready to draw a knife, Chen Yuan should have been chopped to pieces by now.
How had Chen Yuan survived with such a work attitude?
"Hehe, isn''t there a national protection mechanism?"
"The boss and the Boss Lady only check once a week, so I ck off for five days and tidy up for two," Chen Yuan scratched his head andughed.
Qin Nuo was astonished.
So this was the national intervention, forcibly adding a protection mechanism!
The supervision was toox!
No wonder the hot-tempered couple ignored the mess on the floor and only got angry at the goods messed up by the thief!
Thinking about his own work at the Nether Springs Restaurant these past few days, being picked on by the chef, groped by ghosts while sleeping, and eyed by perverted customers, if it weren''t for his cleverness and a bit of luck, he would have lost his life long ago!
A slight oversight, neglecting a customer.
Slow service, clumsy hands and feet.
Even a slip of the tongue affecting a diner''s mood could cost him his life!
Compared to Qin Nuo''s experiences, Chen Yuan''s job was like a damn flower in a greenhouse!
Thisparison made Qin Nuo feel extremely frustrated.
"I was forcibly sent here," Qin Nuo said with a dark expression.
"I really sympathize with you," Chen Yuan looked at Qin Nuo with pity.
He had participated in the Horror Game only twice, but he knew that being forcibly sent in meant no national protection mechanism.
High danger!
High mortality rate!
Those who returned alive were truly blessed by their ancestors!
Chen Yuan nced at the boss still arguing outside and whispered, "I heard your conversation with the Boss Lady. You should just go back to where you came from."
"You can''t catch that thieving ghost."
"And don''t be fooled by the Boss Lady''s easygoing manner. Even if you catch that ghost, she definitely won''t give you Ingredient No. 8!"
Qin Nuo''s face darkened, "Why?"
"Are you really that naive?" Chen Yuan sized up Qin Nuo.
"A human trying to negotiate with ghosts? Let me tell you, your superiors at the Nether Springs Restaurant have tricked our Boss Lady before, and she hates you guys."
"Even if she sells it, she won''t sell it to you!"
Qin Nuo''s expression grew more serious.
Pinhio hadn''t mentioned any of this, yet he sent him to the Specter Supermarket, clearly setting him up for failure.
Qin Nuo closed his eyes, seemingly making a decision.
After a moment, he opened his eyes and said, "Tell me about the thief in your store."
"Didn''t you hear a word I said?" Chen Yuan was surprised.
Qin Nuo replied, "In any case, I can''t go back empty-handed."
"I have my ways."
Chapter 20: The gluttonous ghost makes some sense!
Seeing Qin Nuo''s stubbornness, Chen Yuan shook his head and said, "About a week ago, this thief starteding here, and every time it only steals the expensive stuff to eat!"
"So far, the goods that ghost has eaten are worth over 8000 Ghost Currency. If this continues, it won''t be long before this store has to close."
Although Chen Yuan said this, there was no sign of pessimism on his face. He only had two days left to finish this level. Once he exits and ims his reward, whether the Specter Supermarket closes or not won''t matter to him.
"Can''t the Boss and Boss Lady catch it?" Qin Nuo asked, as the couple didn''t seem like weak ghosts.
"The thief isn''t very aggressive, but it''s quite tricky."
"Every time the Boss and Boss Lady are about to catch it, they suddenly act like they''re possessed, let the thief go, and then walk back to the counter in a daze. After a while, they snap out of it."
"This thief probably has some ability that can mess with ghosts'' minds."
"Also, it seems like it''s injured, and its appetite has been growing these past few days!"
"Once it''s done eating, it hides in some corner of the supermarket, and when it gets hungry, ites out to steal again," Chen Yuan exined.At first, the thief always messed up the goods Chen Yuan organized, and he thought about catching it. Butter, he gave up since the thief didn''t seem to want to harm him, so he just let it be.
Hearing this, Qin Nuo could basically confirm one thing. The ghost that the system said could be fused with was most likely this thief.
After a brief thought, Qin Nuo suddenly had a perfect n. But first, he had to catch this thieving ghost!
"When does it usuallye out to steal?" Qin Nuo asked.
"This guy''s appetite is hugetely,ing out to steal at least three times a day. I''m sure it''lle out again tonight!" Chen Yuan concluded.
"Alright, I''ll wait for it toe out tonight," Qin Nuo said.
He had a whole day, and as long as he returned to the restaurant with Ingredient No. 8 before 6 AM, he wouldplete the task. Tonight was basically his only chance!
"No need to wait, it''lle out swaggering," Chen Yuan said.
"At first, it was a bit timid, butter it realized no one could do anything to it, so it got bolder and bolder."
"Now, whenever it''s hungry, ites out swaggering to eat, treating the supermarket like its own home."
Qin Nuo nodded in understanding and didn''t ask further, leaving the shelving area.
At the counter, the Boss and Boss Lady seemed to have tired themselves out from arguing and finally quieted down.
The Boss Lady pulled out the dagger stuck in her chest and smiled at Qin Nuo, asking, "So, did you see that thief?"
"No, but your employee Chen Yuan told me some information about the thief."
"I''ll take action tonight."
"Ah, Little Chen."
"He''s indeed a rare, diligent, and responsible employee. Every time I check, he has the shelves organized neatly and orderly!" the Boss Lady chuckled, clearly satisfied with Chen Yuan.
Diligent and responsible...
If you saw him eating instant noodles and ying games inside the shelves, you might not say that.
But Qin Nuo had to admit, he was envious.
yers in horror games under the protection mechanism had it so easy!
The irritable Boss suddenly changed his attitude towards Qin Nuo, saying, "Catch that damn thief, and you can have any ingredient you want from us!"
"Not just sell, we''ll give it to you!"
Qin Nuo knew their little scheme and showed a deeply trusting expression, "I''ll do my best."
Evening quickly fell.
The street was swallowed by darkness, and while it was quiet, it seemed filled with unknown dangers.
The rolling door came down.
The Specter Supermarket closed its doors.
The Boss and Boss Lady were nowhere to be seen.
At this time, Chen Yuan finally came out from the shelving area, skillfully went to the counter, got some delicious food, and somehow pulled out a bottle of yellow beer.
Chen Yuan sighed contentedly, "Finally, a proper meal after a day of instant noodles."
"Why didn''t you daree out during the day?" Qin Nuo asked.
"That''s my working time. If I''m not in the working area and leave without permission, it would break the protection mechanism."
"Without the protection mechanism, wouldn''t the Boss and Boss Lady tear me apart?" Chen Yuan said.
The protection mechanism was set up for yers, but there were rules to follow!
Once vited, the protection mechanism would be broken and lose its effect!
So, no matter how stuffy the shelves were or how hungry he was, Chen Yuan had to stay inside.
Qin Nuo suddenly realized he hadn''t fully grasped the intricacies of horror games.
This Chen Yuan, though he seemed simple, had a firm grasp on the protection mechanism!
Perhaps that''s why he''s managed to livefortably until now.
Bang!!
In the darkness, a shelf suddenly fell, goods flew everywhere, making a loud noise.
Chen Yuan took a big gulp of yellow beer and said, "Look, the Glutton is out!"
"Aren''t youing with me to catch it?" Qin Nuo looked at the indifferent Chen Yuan.
Chen Yuan put down the duck frame in his mouth and said, "Can''t catch it. You blink, and it''ll run away. And even if you catch it, the ghost can possess you, making you dizzy and disoriented."
"How many times have the Boss and Boss Lady failed? Don''t I know?"
"As long as it doesn''t bother me, I won''t provoke that troublesome guy!"
Chen Yuan peeled a sausage and ate it as he spoke.
Qin Nuo said nothing and headed towards the shelving area.
In the disyed shelves, the thieving ghost heard footsteps and vanished in a sh.
Qin Nuo looked at the torn packaging scattered everywhere. Goodness, it was quite picky, only eating the expensive stuff!
"Hey, I have something tasty here. Why don''t youe out and make a friend?" Qin Nuo called out.
Outside, Chen Yuan rolled his eyes at this, "If that can lure the ghost out, I''ll eat dirt upside down!"
Seeing no response, Qin Nuo smiled and took out the Meat of Taisui from the toolbar, cing it on the ground.
Qin Nuo couldn''t see or smell anything enticing about the Meat of Taisui, but since the system said so, he wanted to give it a try.
What he didn''t know was that once the Meat of Taisui was exposed to the air, an invisible scent, irresistible and maddening to ghosts, had already spread.
In the darkness, the thieving ghost''s eyes lit up, its body uncontrobly drawn towards it.
Hearing the movement, Qin Nuo turned his head and saw a shadow slowly emerging from the darkness.
It was a formless, phantom-like ghost.
Its only feature was the blood-red eyes covering its entire body, looking terrifying!
Qin Nuo waved at it friendly, "Hello."
It nced at Qin Nuo, and the next second, the Meat of Taisui was in its hands.
Without hesitation, it swallowed it in one gulp, and then its nine blood-red, eerie eyes squinted slightly, showing a look of enjoyment.
"You ate my stuff, can we be friends now?" Qin Nuo asked.
"Idiot!" To his surprise, the thieving ghost spat out human words, full of deep mockery, and turned to leave.
"Sigh, I just wanted to make a friend. Too bad I have so much Meat of Taisui left, and I don''t know who to share it with!" Qin Nuo sighed, showing a regretful and lonely expression.
The Glutton stopped and asked, "You have more?"
"I have plenty. Want to be friends with a tycoon like me? All-you-can-eat!" Qin Nuo said kindly.
The Glutton wasn''t buying it, sneering.
"You humans are the most cunning. Don''t take me for a fool. Friends? You''re trying to catch me, right?"
"If you have good food, I can just snatch it from you. Why waste so much time talking?"
Qin Nuo was taken aback.
"That... makes some sense."
Chapter 21: Establish the Contract, achieve successful integration!
Seeing Qin Nuo''s bewildered expression, Glutton became even more smug and lunged at him immediately.
"Watch out, get out of the way!"
Chen Yuan, hearing themotion, rushed over and shouted when he saw the scene.
Once this Glutton possesses someone, it can control its own kind, let alone a human.
But it was toote. Qin Nuo''s body stiffened as Glutton directly possessed him, taking control of his body.
"Let me see, where did you hide the delicious food?" Glutton licked its lips and spoke excitedly.
The taste of the Meat of Taisui lingered in its memory.
It had never tasted anything so delicious in its life!
But soon, Glutton realized something was wrong.It couldn''t control this body.
Even more shocking, it couldn''t leave, as if trapped in a cage!
"What¡¯s happening?" Glutton was a bit dumbfounded.
"Hey, are you okay? Are you still conscious?" Chen Yuan waved his hand in front of Qin Nuo''s eyes.
Qin Nuo touched his face and smiled, "I''m perfectly fine."
"That shouldn''t be." Chen Yuan scratched his head.
Inside the body, Glutton struggled desperately, but couldn''t escape Qin Nuo''s body.
Then, it thought of something and eximed in horror, "Human, is there something wrong with your body?"
Qin Nuo feigned a clueless expression, "I don''t know, I thought I was done for!"
Glutton''s face turned extremely grim.
Being trapped inside was one thing, but not having control over the body was enough to drive a ghost insane!
The situation happened so suddenly that even it was confused.
Qin Nuo, however, was secretlyughing inside.
The function of the Yin-Yang Phantom Body is specifically to imprison ghosts. No matter how powerful a ghost is, once inside, it bes a prisoner.
Ghosts trapped inside have only two choices.
Either sign a contract with the host and choose to merge and coexist!
Or obediently let the Yin-Yang Phantom Body slowly corrode and digest them.
Qin Nuo knew he couldn''t capture this ghost, so the only way was to let it possess him.
The Meat of Taisui was just bait thrown out.
The real trap was luring it to possess him!
Soon, Glutton was horrified to find its body slowly melting, bing more and more indistinct.
"This special constitution is corroding me!"
Glutton''s nine eyes trembled, thinking of the dire consequences.
"Your situation doesn''t look good, are you going to die?" Qin Nuo asked with concern.
Glutton ignored Qin Nuo''s words, frantically searching for a way to escape. Thinking of the fate of turning to ashes, it instinctively felt fear.
"You look quite pitiful, let me think of a way for you."
"I heard that signing a cursed contract with the host and merging with a special constitution can keep you alive."
"Merge?" Glutton was taken aback, having forgotten about this option.
But,
Signing a cursed contract with a human!
For it, this was an unbearable humiliation!
Before Glutton could speak, Qin Nuo continued, "Forget it, merging with a ghost sounds disgusting, and it doesn''t benefit me."
"If you turn to ashes inside me, it doesn''t seem to affect me much, so why merge and suffer?"
Qin Nuo quickly changed his tune, even giving himself a p, as if ming himself for speaking carelessly.
Glutton suddenly realized.
Yes!
About to turn to ashes, why care about dignity?
It quickly spoke, "Wait! Friend, I think your idea might work!"
Qin Nuo shook his head, "I think it''s too much of a loss."
"This is my body, letting a ghost live in it, not to mention potential risks, everything I do in the future will be seen by a ghost, no privacy!"
Glutton''s body was already so indistinct it was almost transparent.
Its consciousness was also gradually bing hazy.
It hurriedly spoke, "Alright, sign the cursed contract, and you set the terms!"
"I set the terms, are you sure?"
"Sure."
Qin Nuo clicked his tongue, as if he had suffered a great loss, and said helplessly, "Alright, seeing you being corroded so miserably, I''ll take the loss."
"Thank you, you''re a good person, there''s no time, I''ll teach you how to do it!"
"No need to teach, I know how."
Qin Nuo smiled slightly, bit the tip of his thumb, and drew a strange pattern on the ground.
Chen Yuan, who had been watching Qin Nuo talk to himself from the start, finally reacted and eximed in shock:
"Damn! Are you negotiating with that ghost?"
Qin Nuo ignored Chen Yuan, finished drawing the blood curse to initiate the contract, and said, "Your turn."
With that, Qin Nuo''s other hand wrapped in ghost aura unconsciously lifted, and his thumb pressed on it.
"Ding, congrattions on obtaining the right to sign a contract with a ghost. Please establish the contract''s death order. If both parties agree, both will unconditionallyply with the contract''s death order in the future!"
Qin Nuo had already thought it through and quickly established it.
"Contract Death Order: Merge with the ghost, unconditionally ensure the host''s safety, and must intervene in case of fatal harm!"
"Time limit: 1 year."
"Protect you for a year?!"
Glutton was taken aback, looking very displeased.
"Otherwise, you''re not much use to me, right? Unless you want to date me?" Qin Nuo said.
"Just a year, close your eyes and it''ll be over."
Glutton remained silent.
"Time waits for no one."
"If you don''t want to, forget it, I''m not very willing either." Qin Nuo''s casual tone showed indifference.
"Deal."
Glutton didn''t hesitate any longer and agreed through gritted teeth.
Immediately, Qin Nuo felt a warm flow surge in his chest.
"Ding, congrattions to the host for sessfully merging with the ghost, level A+!" (Can be taken out of the instance)
"The host gains control and can choose any body part for the merged ghost to reside."
"The right hand then." Qin Nuo thought for a moment and chose his most ustomed right hand.
Although letting a ghost reside in his first girlfriend''s ce was a bit of a loss.
But in future troubles, the right hand is the most convenient limb to use.
Subsequently, Qin Nuo''s right hand was covered in ck threads, spreading like a spider web, looking extremely horrifying.
Patches of corpse spots appeared on his hand, and the decaying corpse aura was quite pungent!
"Ding, congrattions to the host forpleting the allocation of the merged ghost and obtaining the merged ghost''s information panel."
"Open the information panel."
Merged Ghost: Blood-Eyed Ghost!
Level: A+!
Ability: Mental Domain.
Ghost Power: 3000 points (Peak)
Ability Characteristics: Nine cursed blood eyes, each opened doubles mental control and ghost power.
"Sounds like this merged ghost isn''t weak!" Qin Nuo thought to himself, having no concept of the strength among ghosts.
He wasn''t sure how strong an A+ level ghost was.
"Uh..."
A strange sound arose, followed by Chen Yuan''s scream, "Whoa, your hand!"
Qin Nuo looked down and saw a blood-red eye opening on the back of his hand.
The eyeball rotated, seemingly adapting to the new environment.
Then the eyeball stared at Qin Nuo, filled with humiliation and resentment.
Qin Nuo said, "I saved your life, what kind of look is that?"
"Human, be honest, was this your trap from the start?"
The btedly aware Blood-Eyed Ghost finally realized something was amiss.
Chapter 22: Is the acting just a scare, or is it a living thing?
"What trap are you talking about?" Qin Nuo scratched his head in confusion.
The Blood-Eyed Ghost wasn''t buying Qin Nuo''s act of ying dumb, convinced that he had fallen into this human''s trap.
iming to know nothing, yet able toplete all the steps of the contract with such proficiency!
Who are you trying to fool?
But it was toote to say anything now; the Blood-Eyed Ghost had no choice but to ept his fate.
The eye on the back of his hand closed.
The corpse aura on his right hand dissipated.
"Ding, congrattions to the host forpleting the passive task and receiving a Silver Chest ¡Á1!"
Qin Nuo didn''t rush to open it, tossing it into the toolbar, then looked at the dumbfounded Chen Yuan: "Wasn''t that pretty easy?"Chen Yuan swallowed hard: "Wow, did you eat that ghost?"
"It''s on my right hand, and for now, it''s under my control. It has to work for me for a year before it can gain its freedom," Qin Nuo exined simply.
"This game can be yed like that?"
"You can give it a try."
Chen Yuan pursed his lips: "I wouldn''t dare to court death like that."
Qin Nuo didn''t have time to chat with Chen Yuan and walked out of the shelving area.
At the front, the Boss and the Boss Lady had appeared at some point.
The Boss looked at Qin Nuo with a gloomy expression: "Making such amotion, are you trying to tear down my shop?"
"To catch that thief, a bit of noise was unavoidable."
The Boss Lady was taken aback: "You mean, you caught that thief?"
"Caught him."
"How did you catch him?"
"You don''t need to worry about that. From now on, your goods won''t go missing anymore."
After saying that, Qin Nuo added, "If you don''t believe me, you can ask your stock clerk; he saw it with his own eyes."
Hiding among the shelves, Chen Yuan cursed under his breath for being put on the spot and had toe out: "Boss Lady, he... he really caught the thief."
The Boss ran into the shelving area, took a few deep sniffs, and suddenly eximed excitedly: "The annoying smell is really gone, that little thief was really caught!"
The Boss Lady looked very surprised and asked, "How did you deal with it?"
"Killed it."
The couple clearly didn''t believe Qin Nuo''s answer.
Qin Nuo didn''t care whether they believed him or not, and said, "I''ve solved your problem, so shouldn''t you give me that Ingredient No. 8?"
The Boss Lady didn''t say anything, turned around, and came back with a stack of Ghost Currency, stuffing it into Qin Nuo''s hand: "Ingredient No. 8 is actually sold out, consider this our thank you gift, take it and go."
Qin Nuo held the Ghost Currency and looked up: "Boss Lady, that''s not very honest."
"Enough with the nonsense, take the benefit and get lost. You guys from the Nether Springs Restaurant tricked usst time, not counting it against you is already good enough!" Seeing that their goal was achieved, the Boss revealed his true colors and red at Qin Nuo.
Chen Yuan sighed helplessly: "I told you so, why didn''t you listen?"
Qin Nuo''s expression remained calm: "All I know is that this was what we agreed on beforehand."
"Kid, don''t make things too stiff, you''ll only suffer. Forget about Ingredient No. 8, just go back." The Boss Lady said tly.
"In that case, I''ll just return that thief to you."
Qin Nuo''s words left the couple stunned.
"That ghost is on you?"
"Didn''t you say you killed it?"
Qin Nuo smiled: "I lied to you, didn''t you lie to me too?"
"It''s attached to me, and we''ve signed a cursed contract."
"If I can''t take Ingredient No. 8 back today, your shop won''t be able to open either."
"Causing chaos, isn''t that a win-win for everyone?"
The Boss Lady''s eyes suddenly turned fierce, her voice sharp and piercing: "Are you threatening us?"
"Kid, I liked you, that''s why I didn''t tear things apart. Don''t narrow your path!"
The Boss grew more violent, pulling out a cleaver, ready to chop Qin Nuo.
"Demon''s Eye: You''ve received +50 Rage Meter from the ghost couple!"
"Reward: Ghost Creature¡ªMeat of Taisui ¡Á10!"
"Reward: 50 Ghost Power points!"
Qin Nuo looked expressionlessly at the ghost couple, but inside he was a bit panicked, seeking help from the Blood-Eyed Ghost: "Buddy,e out and back me up!"
"Aren''t you tough? Solve it yourself." The Blood-Eyed Ghost sneered.
Due to the cursed contract, it only needed to ensure Qin Nuo''s life was safe; other matters, it was quite happy to see Qin Nuo suffer.
"Don''t you want to taste a piece of Meat of Taisui?"
Hearing about the Meat of Taisui, the Blood-Eyed Ghost couldn''t stay calm.
That stuff was just too tempting!
"Deal!"
"y along with me in a little act, let''s see your acting skills," Qin Nuo said.
Over there, the Boss nced at the Boss Lady: "Even a rat wants to step on our heads, can you tolerate that?"
The Boss Lady had a stern face, just about to speak, when Qin Nuo''s right hand suddenly crawled with ck threads, emitting a foul corpse stench.
The eye on the back of his hand reopened, looking at the ghost couple, and said: "Yes, kill this kid, and I cane out!"
"I haven''t had enough of the stuff in your shop, I want to stay here forever!"
Hearing this, the ghost couple''s faces turned ck.
They didn''t know about the cursed contract, believing the Blood-Eyed Ghost''s words that it coulde out once Qin Nuo was dead.
If they didn''t give up Ingredient No. 8, and Qin Nuo died, this Glutton would surely stay with them forever, eating them into bankruptcy!
Thinking it over.
Using one Ingredient No. 8 seemed quite worth it?
As long as they could get rid of this gue, any loss to the supermarket could be made up.
"Kid, you''re ruthless." The Boss Lady''s face was very unpleasant.
After being tricked by the Nether Springs Restaurant, she had vowed never to sell any ingredients to them again, and now she was being pped in the face!
"I''ll sell it to you, but 2000 Ghost Currency, not a penny less."
"Of course." Qin Nuo smiled slightly, that Pinhio guy had some conscience, at least he really gave Qin Nuo a ck gold card to swipe Ghost Currency.
2000 Ghost Currency, not a penny more or less!
The blood eye on the back of his hand closed.
Qin Nuo secretly gave the Blood-Eyed Ghost a thumbs up: "Buddy, pretty smart, scaring them like that!"
What drove the ghost couple crazy was the Blood-Eyed Ghost.
The phrase "stay with them forever" directly broke their defenses, making them quickly hand over Ingredient No. 8!
The Boss Lady told Qin Nuo to wait, then went into a room.
The Boss red at Qin Nuo fiercely, his gaze murderous enough that Qin Nuo felt he was already numb from dying.
Hiding among the shelves, Chen Yuan was already stunned.
Wow!
This guy''s heart is really big, negotiating with ghosts, even verbally threatening them, not even Liang Jingru would dare to give such courage, right?
While shocked, an indescribable admiration also surged in Chen Yuan''s heart!
"If I could be half as carefree in this game, that would be great!"
After a long time, the Boss Lady came out, holding a vintage box made of metallic copper.
The lock was an ancient horizontal lock, full of mystery.
"Here''s the ingredient you wanted." The Boss Lady handed it over, along with a key.
Qin Nuo took the box, slightly stunned: "This is Ingredient No. 8?"
No. 8 was just a code name; no one knew what was inside the box.
Holding the box, Qin Nuo felt his emotions being affected, bing unusually irritable.
Then, the box shook violently.
"Is Ingredient No. 8 a living thing?"
Chapter 23: Hot taro, lets do it!
When Qin Nuo left the Specter Supermarket, it was alreadyte at night.
Standing by the eerie, pitch-ck bus stop, Qin Nuo held a box in his hands.
The box emitted a corpse-like aura, making Qin Nuo uneasy.
"What exactly is inside this box?" Qin Nuo asked.
"A finger," the Blood-Eyed Ghost replied.
"A finger can cause such amotion?" Qin Nuo was shocked.
The owner of this finger must be something truly terrifying, right?
"This thing can also be used as an ingredient. You ghosts have the most bizarre tastes," Qin Nuo remarked.
"It''s not about taste.""They can only consume this kind of thing, or rather, it''s the only food they can absorb."
"The ghost that can eat this finger is beyond your imagination," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
"Stronger than you?" Qin Nuo asked tentatively.
"Not bad. If I weren''t injured and all nine eyes were open, I wouldn''t be afraid of it!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost boasted.
"You''re injured? Who hurt you? Is it serious?"
"You ask too many damn questions!"
"Human, don''t think that just because you signed a contract with me, we''re close. I remember the grudge of you tricking me. Once the contract is up in a year, I''ll be the first to eat you!"
"Well, let''s talk about it in a year then."
"Besides, you might not even be able to beat me in a year, right?" Qin Nuo said with a carefree smile.
Ding ding.
A long bell sound came from afar.
Through the white fog, the bus slowly approached.
"The bus is here." Qin Nuo stood up with the box.
"Aren''t you afraid of being torn apart by the ghosts on the bus, being a human?" the Blood-Eyed Ghost asked strangely.
"Afraid of what? Aren''t you here?" Qin Nuo smiled faintly. The killer''s raincoat wasn''t very effective; slightly stronger ghosts could see through it.
So, Qin Nuo simply walked openly on the street.
After all, with the contract, the Blood-Eyed Ghost had to unconditionally serve as his shield.
The Blood-Eyed Ghost''s face darkened, feeling as if a ma had spat all over it.
The bus stopped at the station, and the front door slowly opened.
Qin Nuo got on the bus and dropped two pieces of Ghost Currency into the fare box.
"A human?"
The ghost driver, about to close the door, suddenly realized Qin Nuo''s identity and was momentarily stunned.
A human, in the dead of night, taking a bus in the Horror World.
This was too audacious!
The ghost driver quickly calmed his shock.
There are only two types of humans who would do this.
One is a Half-Ghost.
The other carries some kind of terrifying ghost creature.
In any case, they have a trump card and aren''t afraid of ghosts causing trouble.
The ghost driver, having driven the bus for years, understood this logic, though he frowned, clearly disliking humans on his bus, then closed the door and started the bus.
There weren''t many passengers on the bus.
A couple.
An old man.
And a passenger wrapped up like a Mummy.
Inside the bus, there was no human aura, clearly all ghosts.
They stared intently at Qin Nuo, their eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
The scent of a human wafted into their nostrils like the fragrant aroma of delicious food, stirring the hunger within them.
However, none of them acted rashly.
A person walking alone on the streets of the Horror World at night was likely not someone to be trifled with.
No matter how much their hunger gnawed at them, they restrained themselves.
"That box."
Suddenly, the Mummy ghost sitting at the back spoke, uttering four words.
Only then did the other ghosts notice the box in Qin Nuo''s hands, and their eyes lit up, revealing a greed even more intense than when they saw a human.
"A precious ingredient!"
Qin Nuo frowned.
He hadn''t expected these ghosts to focus on the box.
The bus suddenly stopped; it had reached a station.
"Blood Street, passengers getting off, please take your belongings with you. The next stop is..."
The door opened.
No passengers got off, and none got on.
The atmosphere inside the bus grew increasingly tense.
Suddenly, the male from the couple stood up and walked towards Qin Nuo.
His expression was pale, yet exuded a sickly greed, much like a drug addict high on substances.
As he approached Qin Nuo, his face twisted grotesquely, as if worms were crawling under his skin, and the sound he made was like his vocal cords being torn: "Human, the box..."
Before he could finish, Qin Nuo coldly said, "Get lost!"
The man''s eyes red with anger, being humiliated by a human for the first time.
But the more it was like this, the more he feared.
He struggled for a moment but eventually retreated to his seat.
Soon, the bus reached another station.
This time, a few more ghosts boarded.
When they saw Qin Nuo, they were momentarily stunned.
Then, they noticed the box, their eyes filled with the same greed.
As several stops passed, the number of passengers increased.
And all their gazes were fixed on Qin Nuo''s position by the window.
Those eyes were like a pack of hungry wolves eyeing a fat sheep on the chopping block.
If it weren''t for Qin Nuo''s strong mental fortitude, an ordinary person would have been scared out of their wits by now!
"Everyone, I assume you''re all interested in that box?"
At this moment, the Mummy ghost at the back spoke again.
It looked at Qin Nuo with a sinister smile: "No matter how powerful a human is, they can''t overpower a group of ghosts. If we all attack together, tear this kid apart first, then we can divide what''s in the box one by one. How about it?"
"If word got out that a human scared all the ghosts on a bus into not daring to make a move, it would be a huge joke!"
The Mummy ghostughed.
It had its eyes on the box too.
But it didn''t dare to act alone, so it started inciting everyone to act together.
Because of the Mummy ghost''s words, many passengers were itching to move.
This tense atmosphere only needed a spark to ignite.
The Mummy ghost secretly smirked, knowing its goal was achieved. Now it just needed a few more voices to agree, and the passengers would swarm towards Qin Nuo.
Seeing the restless passengers, Qin Nuo felt uneasy.
He had intended to rely on the Blood-Eyed Ghost to intimidate these ghosts until the next stop.
Now, due to the Mummy ghost''s incitement, the situation seemed to be spiraling out of control.
Honestly, if these passengers all rushed at him, he doubted the Blood-Eyed Ghost could protect him.
Now Qin Nuo understood.
Why the Boss Lady said he couldn''t bring back Ingredient No. 8.
Damn it, this was hotter than a hot potato!
In front of ghosts, this thing was even more tempting than a human!
As the situation grew tense, but no ghost dared to be the nail that sticks out,
Qin Nuo suddenly thought of a n.
"Brother..."
The Blood-Eyed Ghost said, "What, you want me to deal with all the ghosts on the bus?"
"Don''t be delusional, I''m injured now, I don''t have that ability."
"Take my advice, if you want to live, hand over that ingredient obediently, that way you can make it to the station alive!"
Qin Nuo ignored the Blood-Eyed Ghost''s words and asked, "That Mummy at the back, can you take it on?"
"If it''s just one, I can beat it so badly its own mother wouldn''t recognize it," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
"Good, then let''s take it on!"
Qin Nuo said immediately.
"Now?"
"Yes, just that one!"
Chapter 24: Kill the Nail that Sticks Out, deter the many ghosts!
When the atmosphere inside the bus reached its peak of tension, and all the passengers were eyeing the box in Qin Nuo''s hand with predatory intent, Qin Nuo suddenly stood up and walked toward the back of the bus.
Everyone was taken aback.
What was he going to do?
Even the Mummy ghost sitting in thest seat was stunned.
Then, it saw Qin Nuo''s right hand suddenly covered with corpse spots, exuding a strong corpse aura.
A blood-red eye opened on the back of his hand.
"Half-Ghost?!"
The Mummy ghost''s expression changed.
Qin Nuo took a sudden step forward and pped it hard.The Mummy ghost, horrified, tried to dodge, but that blood-red eye seemed to carry some kind of magic. The moment they locked eyes, its head spun wildly.
Within two seconds, it lost consciousness.
Bang!!
The pnded with terrifying force, smashing the Mummy ghost''s head against the bus''s body, piercing through the thick iron sheet.
The Mummy ghost pulled its head back, its eyes zing with fury: "You!!"
"What do you mean ''you''? I''m pping you! You''ve been acting all weird since earlier, feeling itchy, huh?"
This wasn''t Qin Nuo speaking; it was the Blood-Eyed Ghost.
It had been annoyed by this ghost for a while.
The Mummy ghost was clearly triggered, its entire body of rotten bandages loosening, revealing decaying flesh.
A hand reached for Qin Nuo''s head.
Qin Nuo raised his right hand and swung it fiercely. With a ripping sound, the Mummy ghost''s arm flew off, smashing against the bus window, a mess of flesh and blood.
The Mummy ghost looked bewildered.
"Use this to finish it!" Qin Nuo took a human bone nail from the toolbar and held it in his right hand.
He pped the Mummy ghost''s head with his right hand, driving the bone nail deep into its skull.
The Mummy ghost let out a piercing scream, its body decaying at a visible speed.
In just a few seconds, all that was left on the seat was a pile of scattered bandages and a mess of rotten flesh.
Qin Nuo adjusted his attire, turned to the bewildered passengers, and smiled, "Sorry for the disturbance, everyone. I just don''t like ghosts buzzing around like flies on the bus, so I gave it a little lesson."
"Everything''s fine now, everyone can go about their business."
With that, Qin Nuo returned to his seat.
The ghosts exchanged nces.
You call that a little lesson?
Damn, it''s turned into a pile of mush!
Many ghosts looked at Qin Nuo, especially his right hand, with deep fear and dread.
Some ghosts who had stood up and were ready to act sat back down obediently after witnessing this.
Who would have thought that this human was a Half-Ghost and so ruthless?
In the bus, in front of all the ghosts, he took out a ghost!
The heavy atmosphere inside the bus suddenly eased a lot.
Qin Nuo nced around, his body gradually rxing.
The tactic of killing the chicken to scare the monkey works on anyone, even ghosts.
The nail that sticks out gets hammered down, no doubt.
Before long, the bus reached the Nether Springs Restaurant stop.
Qin Nuo got off the bus with the box and headed toward the restaurant.
The restaurant door was open.
In fact, the lights inside were still bright, but it was eerily quiet, not a ghost in sight.
As Qin Nuo stepped into the restaurant lobby, a familiar voice sounded in his ear.
"I didn''t expect you toe back alive," Pinhio said.
Qin Nuo tossed the box to it, expressionless, "I''vepleted the task. I hope you''re a boss who keeps his word."
Pinhio nced at the box, then at Qin Nuo, "Don''t worry, the Nether Springs Restaurant never owes its employees anything."
"Go back and rest. Be here on time tomorrow."
With that, Pinhio left.
Qin Nuo stretchedzily, wondering how Liu Jiaqi''s task went today.
On his way back to the dorm, he stopped at the vending machine.
"A bottle of water, a cup of instant noodles, and two sausages," Qin Nuo said, patting the vending machine''s newly repaired metal.
With a tter, everything Qin Nuo wanted rolled out.
The vending machine ghost nced at Qin Nuo, as if it had discovered something, and suspiciously said, "There''s something off about your body."
Then, it suddenly eximed in horror, "When did you get a ghost inside you?"
It not only sensed the presence of the Blood-Eyed Ghost.
But also sensed it was a terrifying ghost!
"What''s all the fuss about? It''s just a ghost, it won''t eat you."
Qin Nuo took a sip of water, speaking nonchntly, and walked away with his food.
The vending machine ghost broke into a cold sweat, now even more fearful of Qin Nuo.
Dorm 404.
Liu Jiaqi huddled at the edge of her bed, trembling all over, looking at the empty bed next to her, on the verge of tears.
"Wang Yang was taken by a ghost, and Qin Nuo was killed by Pinhio. Tomorrow it''ll definitely be me."
"Sob, mom, I can''t go back to see you, I''m sorry..."
Just as Liu Jiaqi was about to cry out, the doorknob suddenly turned.
Liu Jiaqi''s face filled with terror, she quickly got out of bed and grabbed a pair of scissors from the table.
The door opened, dim light spilling in.
A figure appeared at the door.
Liu Jiaqi gripped the scissors tightly, screaming as she lunged at the figure.
Qin Nuo easily disarmed her, tossing her onto the bed, and threw the scissors back onto the table with his other hand.
"If a ghost really came in, you''d be better off using those scissors to end yourself rather than trying to stab it."
Qin Nuo said as he tore open the instant noodle package on the table and started boiling water with the kettle.
Liu Jiaqi was stunned.
It took her a few seconds to react, tears of joy streaming down her face, "You''re... you''re not dead?"
Qin Nuo chuckled, "Why does that sound like you''re cursing me?"
"Sob, you don''t know how worried I was about you. I thought you were a goner, and I wouldn''t survive leaving here either!"
Liu Jiaqi threw herself onto Qin Nuo, crying her heart out, releasing all her pent-up emotions.
Qin Nuo said helplessly, "Cryter, let me eat something first, okay?"
A beauty throwing herself at him was something Qin Nuo, a single guy for over ten years, could only dream of.
But now he was too hungry to care, he just wanted to fill his stomach.
"I still have some food left, instant noodles won''t fill you up, let me get it for you!"
Liu Jiaqi wiped her tears, smiling happily, and turned to open a drawer, taking out a lot of food for Qin Nuo.
She even seriously helped Qin Nuo heat it up, cleaned it, and ced it on the table.
Then, Liu Jiaqi sat obediently to the side, smiling, "Eat up."
This made Qin Nuo feel a bit embarrassed.
He scratched his head, "Thanks."
Then, disregarding his image, he began to devour the food.
After a while, Qin Nuo leaned back in his chair, satisfied, rubbing his belly.
Seeing Qin Nuo like this, Liu Jiaqi felt inexplicably happy, as if a beam of light had enveloped her in a dark world.
A sense of safety filled her.
Her face flushed, she instinctively reached for Qin Nuo''s hand.
But she suddenly felt as if she was holding ice, and quickly pulled her hand back, startled.
Before she could react, the Blood-Eyed Ghost''s cold voice came from Qin Nuo''s right hand, "Human, don''t touch me without permission!"
Chapter 25: Four types of rewards, job promotion!
Liu Jiaqi was startled and asked shakily, "Qin Nuo, what happened to your right hand?"
"It''s a long story. I''ll exin it to you when I get the chance," Qin Nuo replied.
Liu Jiaqi nodded, staring at Qin Nuo''s hand, instinctively shrinking her neck back, feeling as if the hand was staring back at her, sending shivers down her spine.
The night passed without further conversation.
The next morning, Qin Nuo arrived at the restaurant.
Inside, the other employees were astonished to see him.
After thest incident, wasn''t this human supposed to be banished from the restaurant? How was he still here, alive and well?
Soon, Pinhio arrived.
He gathered all the employees in the main hall."Employee 3697, for sessfully bringing back Ingredient No. 8, not only redeemed himself but also solved a major problem for the restaurant, making a significant contribution."
"So, here are the rewards the restaurant is presenting to Employee 3697!"
"Reward one: Weekly selection as the most outstanding employee, with a neer red envelope!"
"Reward two: Early termination of the seven-day probation period, promotion to restaurant supervisor, responsible for managing the West Gate area!"
"Reward three: Special restaurant pass, allowing the bearer to enter any public area of the restaurant unconditionally!"
"Reward four: A Horror Level ghost creature!"
The announcement caused a stir among the crowd.
Four rewards!!
What shocked them even more was that a human had received them!
In past examples of restaurant outings, this was extremely rare!
Many ghosts were green with envy.
This human had only been here for a few days and had already secured a supervisor position!
"Ingredient No. 8, the one that''s been out of stock, how did he manage to bring it back from the Specter Supermarket?" An employee asked in shock, having previously been sent to buy Ingredient No. 8 and suffered a lot without sess.
Pinhio ced a box in front of Qin Nuo and looked up at the other employees, "The rest of you, return to your posts and prepare to open for business!"
Amidst the noise, the employees dispersed.
Qin Nuo stopped Pinhio, who was about to leave, "So what do I do today?"
"Head to the West Gate toplete the position handover."
"Manage the order at the West Gate, supervise employees toplete their tasks, and the rest of the time is your free time," Pinhio said.
"The daily wage is double what it was before!"
This treatment was quite appealing!
After Pinhio left, Liu Jiaqi finally dared to approach and happily said to Qin Nuo, "Supervisor, does that mean you can manage those ghosts now? That''s amazing!"
"It''s only for two days. The day after tomorrow, we''llplete this set of tasks and can go back," Qin Nuo said.
"You didn''t mention it, and I almost forgot. Just two days left, and soon I can go back to see my mom and dad. I''m so happy!" The thought of being able to return home alive and reunite with her family filled Liu Jiaqi with motivation.
"I''m off to work. You should hurry to the West Gate too."
After Liu Jiaqi left, Qin Nuo didn''t rush to the West Gate but instead opened the box.
Inside were four items.
Arge red envelope with gold trim.
A set of restaurant supervisor attire.
A ck, eerie pass.
And a pitch-ck, blood-stained stone.
"A stone? A ghost creature?"
Qin Nuo was taken aback.
A mere stone was considered a Horror Level ghost creature?
Ghost creatures are ssified as: Dangerous, Frightening, Horror, Catastrophe, Destruction, and Oblivion.
Horror Level should be quite a formidable ghost creature.
On Earth, Qin Nuo had heard on the news about those top yerspleting tasks and bringing back Horror Level ghost creatures, reportedly worth billions!
This poorly presented stone being rated as Horror Level felt a bit devalued.
But that was just talk.
The moment Qin Nuo picked up the stone, he clearly felt a terrifying Ghost Aura.
Even the Blood-Eyed Ghost in his right hand couldn''t help but open an eye and said, "Not a bad ghost creature."
Qin Nuo blinked and activated the Eye of Analysis.
"Eye of Analysis: Ghost Creature¡ªGrave Ghost Stone!"
"On the mass grave, it witnessed a brutal war. The enemy fought until they ran out of ammunition, and to eliminate all future threats, it used a stone to smash the heads of defenseless enemies, finally throwing them into a valley filled with corpses, burying them under a pile of bodies..."
"This stone actually imed 107 lives?" Qin Nuo was shocked.
Ghost creatures tainted with death be more terrifying the heavier the aura.
This mass grave stone was a treasure!
Qin Nuo ced the Grave Ghost Stone into the toolbar, changed into the supervisor''s restaurant attire, and tidied up his appearance in the mirror.
Even though he was promoted, he still had to work diligently; otherwise, if that ruthless Pinhio caught him cking, it would be troublesome.
West Gate.
The restaurant had officially opened for business.
Employees were busy with their tasks.
"You two filthy rats, what are you dawdling for? If you keep the guests waiting and it affects me, I''ll eat you both!" the ghost chef shouted angrily while cooking, seeing the twoter waiters.
Liu Xing and Zhang Yu hurriedly picked up the dishes and rushed out.
Once they left, both sighed in relief, wiping cold sweat off their brows.
"I can''t take it anymore. If this continues, I''m going to lose my mind!" Liu Xing said, clutching his head, nearly breaking down.
"Just two more days, hang in there. At least we''re still alive, unlike Yu Xiaoyang and the others..." Zhang Yu shook his head.
Originally, there were five of them assigned to the West Gate, but after five days, the other three met unfortunate ends, losing their lives due to poor service reviews.
The two of them, although still alive, were on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
"I heard we have a new supervisor at the West Gate, and they''re taking over today," Zhang Yu said.
"Oh heavens, if only the supervisor was easygoing, but now they''ve changed. They''re pushing us to our limits!" Liu Xing eximed in despair.
"Stopining and get the dishes served. There''s not much time left."
The two of them picked up the dishes, and as they turned around, they saw someone approaching from a distance.
They were stunned, then eximed, "Qin Nuo?"
Seeing a ssmate, Qin Nuo wasn''t surprised. With so many ssmates, they were bound to be assigned to various areas.
"You''re not being transferred to our West Gate, are you?" Zhang Yu asked in shock.
"Sigh, the guests at the West Gate are very picky. Being transferred here isn''t a good thing," Liu Xing said, shaking his head.
"But, since we''re ssmates, we''ll look out for you. If there''s anything you don''t understand, feel free to ask us."
"After all, surviving until now hasn''t been easy for you, right?"
Their rtionship with Qin Nuo wasn''t particrly close, but in this world, seeing another human brought an inexplicable sense of camaraderie.
Qin Nuo finally spoke, "I am being transferred here, but not as a waiter."
"Not a waiter, then a chef?"
"Chef doesn''t seem likely, maybe a greeter," Zhang Yu suggested.
"Not that either."
"Then what?" they asked, puzzled.
"Your time is running out, get the dishes served, and you''ll find outter."
With that, Qin Nuo headed towards the kitchen.
They wanted to ask more, but seeing the limited time left, they had to put it aside and quickly carried the dishes to the hall.
Chapter 26: Mastering the kitchen, commanding presence!
In the kitchen.
The chefs were busy.
Qin Nuo walked in, and several chefs caught the scent of a human. They nced at Qin Nuo with disdain and disgust in their eyes but continued with their work, ignoring him.
Qin Nuo didn''t do much, just wandered around the kitchen.
A chef was stir-frying, looking extremely impatient. He mmed the ck pot hard and turned to shout, "Rat, if you keep wandering around me, I''ll tear you apart!"
Qin Nuo ignored the chef''s rage and said indifferently, "You, make it again."
"Who do you think you are?"
The chef sneered, then noticed Qin Nuo''s attire, and his eyes froze, "You''re the new supervisor?"
The other chefs heard this and looked at Qin Nuo in astonishment.The new supervisor is a human?
"Our restaurant is a five-star top-tier establishment. Hygiene and service must be impable, done with precision. Because of your shouting, a lot of saliva sttered onto the dish, severely contaminating it."
"Your sry and performance rating will be deducted ording to the restaurant''s rules!"
Qin Nuo ignored the strange looks from others, spoke expressionlessly, and noted the chef''s employee number in a small notebook.
"You dare target me?" The chef was furious, his face twitching violently, eyes bulging as if he wanted to swallow Qin Nuo whole.
"For addressing a superior disrespectfully, another 100 Ghost Currency will be deducted!" Qin Nuo added another note in the small book.
"If you don''t do as I say, your penalties will continue to increase!"
"Screw you, who do you think you are? Why should I remake it?" The chef flipped the ck pot, scattering the dish all over the floor.
"A rat wants to boss us around, have you eaten something stupid?"
"So what if you''re a supervisor? You can''t change the fact you''re a rat. Anger us, and we''ll crack your skull open!"
The other chefs also started howling fiercely.
In an instant, the entire kitchen was filled with protests.
The chef grabbed Qin Nuo by the cor, saying coldly, "Take off those clothes and get out, stop bossing me around!"
Qin Nuo calmly put away the notebook and began unbuttoning his shirt.
"Haha, I thought you had some guts, but you chickened out so quickly?" The chefughed triumphantly.
"You''re wrong, I''m just unbuttoning two buttons to make it easier to do my job."
"What job?"
The chef was just puzzled when he saw Qin Nuo holding a Bone-Crushing Hammer.
The next second, the hammer swung back and smashed onto the chef''s skull!
In an instant, the chef let out a blood-curdling scream, clutching his head and wailing like a ghost.
"Rat, you dare..."
Another chef red, wanting to stand up for hispanion.
But just as he took a step, a human bone nail suddenly pierced into his forehead!
He fell to the ground, also wailing like a ghost.
Qin Nuo looked at the other chefs and said, "Who else wants toe up? I''ll apany you to the end. I have plenty more tools to deal with you!"
"The bigger the fuss, the better. I don''t care. All I lose is a position, but you lose your livelihood!"
Qin Nuo''s words made the other chefs stop in their tracks, suppressing their impulses.
Working at a five-star high-end restaurant like Nether Springs Restaurant was a rare opportunity. They had put in a lot of effort to get this position.
If they lost it, they wouldn''t survive in the Horror World.
The restaurant nevercked employees, only obedient ones.
"Now, does anyone else want to make a fuss?"
"If not, why are you still standing there? Get back to your work!" Qin Nuo coldly reprimanded.
This aura was more terrifying than a ghost!
This human was not someone to mess with!
The chefs all had this thought and obediently returned to work.
The chef with the nail in his head also hurriedly got up, enduring the severe pain, and worked honestly.
Qin Nuo turned to the chef with the smashed head and smiled, "You have five minutes to clean this up. If I find any dirt, I''ll reward you with a nail too!"
The chef quickly got up, frantically cleaning up, looking just like a student who had been scolded for making a mistake.
Two minutes ago, the kitchen was full of protests.
Two minutester, it was back to normal.
Moreover, the chefs worked even more diligently.
The kitchen door suddenly swung open.
It was Liu Xing and Zhang Yu, back from delivering dishes, holding a new menu.
They came in, nervously approached a chef, and cautiously said, "Um... this is the order for the second table, could you... make it?"
The chef nced at Qin Nuo not far away, took the menu, and said politely, "Right away, please have a seat and wait patiently!"
"???"
Zhang Yu and Liu Xing were dumbfounded.
Did we hear wrong?
What¡¯s with this polite tone?
Qin Nuo walked over and casually picked up the menu.
Qin Nuo''s action made Liu Xing and Zhang Yu''s faces turn pale, frantically gesturing for Qin Nuo to put it down.
"Are you crazy? They''re cooking, how dare you touch the menu?"
What surprised them even more was what happened next.
Qin Nuo put down the menu, his voice low andmanding, "Get these two dishes done quickly, don''t waste time."
"Yes, yes, it won''t be dyed."
The chef nodded like a pecking chicken, frantically busying himself, his tone extremely humble.
Zhang Yu and Liu Xing werepletely stunned.
Are we still dreaming?
Qin Nuo motioned for them to sit aside and chat.
The two sat down uneasily, looking at Qin Nuo as if he were a stranger.
"You... you''re Qin Nuo, right?"
Qin Nuo chuckled, "Isn''t that obvious?"
"Then how..."
Qin Nuo pointed to his clothing tag, "I''m the supervisor."
"Damn, you even became an official!" Zhang Yu looked as if he had seen a ghost.
"Even as a supervisor, how can you manage this?"
Zhang Yu looked at the chefs, who suddenly seemed energized and worked seriously, with disbelief.
"Don''t forget, this is just a game. Once you understand the rules, it bes simple." Qin Nuo said with an air of wisdom.
"Big brother, can you teach us a few tricks? We''re going crazy!" Zhang Yu pleaded, grabbing Qin Nuo''s hand.
"These things can''t be taught, you have to figure them out yourself." Qin Nuo patted his shoulder; he couldn''t exactly say he was cheating.
"Supervisor, your friends'' dishes are ready."
Soon, a chef came over with a spat, cautiously speaking.
Qin Nuo motioned for them to deliver the dishes.
Even though Zhang Yu and Liu Xing were his ssmates, he couldn''t abuse his authority to give them special treatment, as it would vite the basic principles of his position.
Losing the position might even lead to punishment!
Liu Xing and Zhang Yu understood this and sensibly got up, picked up the dishes, and delivered them to the restaurant.
Chapter 27: Ring of Rights, Territorial Rewards!
In thest two days, nothing unexpected happened.
The seven-day employee experience period officially ended.
Due to Qin Nuo''s position, the ghosts at the west gate didn''t dare to trouble Zhang Yu and Liu Xing anymore, and the two of them sessfullypleted the first set of scenarios.
Liu Jiaqi threw herself into Qin Nuo''s arms, crying tears of joy, "I can''t believe I made it back alive. I''m so happy."
Zhang Yu and Liu Xing watched this scene from the side, secretly giving Qin Nuo a thumbs up.
"Brother Qin is amazing. Not only did heplete the scenario effortlessly, but he also won over the school beauty Liu!"
Over the past two days, Qin Nuo hadpletely won over Zhang Yu and Liu Xing.
Even though he was just a supervisor, the ghosts would nod and bow when they saw Qin Nuo, speaking in a humble tone.
It was like a scene where underlings meet their boss!The powerful aura Qin Nuo exuded turned these two into his little fanboys.
Damn it, if I could be that cool, my nose would be in the air!
Qin Nuo wasn''t concerned with what Liu Xing and Zhang Yu thought. He was focused on the ghost creatures he had acquired over the past seven days and suddenly thought of a question, falling into deep thought.
At that moment, a white light suddenly appeared in the eyes of Qin Nuo and the others gathered in the hall.
Immediately, they all found themselves in a void space.
It was the same space they had entered before the horror game.
Not only them, but other ssmates from different areas of the Nether Springs Restaurant also appeared.
After seven days apart, seeing each other again felt like reuniting with old friends after many years. They were all overwhelmed with emotion, hugging each other and crying their hearts out.
"Old Qin, I missed you so much!" Tang Ming found Qin Nuo in the crowd and gave him a sloth-like bear hug.
"We just saw each other yesterday," Qin Nuo rolled his eyes.
As a supervisor, his job was incrediblyid-back, and he had a special pass that allowed him to move freely in any area of the restaurant.
So over the past two days, Qin Nuo''s legs hadn''t been idle, and he even visited Tang Ming''s area.
Qin Nuo had also intended to explore the mysterious second floor of the restaurant.
But perhaps due to the previous incident with the little girl, or for some other reason, the second floor was temporarily closed.
"The ss monitor didn''te back, he was taken by a bathroom ghost..."
"Liu Fang too, she was gone by the second day..."
After the tears of joy came a silent mourning.
Originally 45 ssmates, now only 19 remained.
Not even 20!
Everyone hung their heads, feeling a heavy sense of oppression.
"Congrattions to those who survived, you are the lucky ones, the biggest winners."
"Life and death are different. Instead of mourning the death of yourpanions, focus on the rewards forpleting the first set of scenarios."
"Cheer and shout, that''s what you should be doing now."
A mysterious voice rang out.
Xiao Yuexin said, "I just want to go home now, can we be sent back?"
"Of course, you''ll be transported back in two minutes, and the rewards will be distributed based on your scenario ratings."
"If you enjoyed the experience, we wee you to participate in our horror game again next time!"
No one spoke.
Everyone wore a bitter expression.
A second time?
In this lifetime, we will never participate in this damn game again!
After being forcibly sent into a horror game once, you gain the initiative to decide whether to participate again.
But even so, in the real world, many people still flock to the horror world.
Firstly, because the national protection mechanism reduces the danger.
Secondly, for the rewards.
For those who value money over life,pleting a scenario with a high rating often means they won''t have to work hard for the rest of their lives!
This temptation can indeed drive many people crazy.
But for those forcibly sent in, it''s the biggest shadow of their lives, and they don''t even want to hear the words "horror game" again.
Beams of light fell on them, and one by one, they disappeared from the mysterious space.
Qin Nuo suddenly asked, "Are the rewards I got from the Nether Springs Restaurant still useful?"
"Permanent."
"The next time you enter a horror game, the rewards you earned from the previous scenario will still be useful."
In other words, the next time he enters the game, Qin Nuo will still be the supervisor of the Nether Springs Restaurant, and the passes and badges he earned can still be used.
Of course, he could also sell them when he returns to the real world for a considerable sum of money.
"Any other questions?"
"No more."
Qin Nuo closed his eyes, his body disappearing as he was transported back to Earth.
At that moment, the sound of the system settling rewards echoed in his mind.
"Congrattions to the host forpleting the Nether Springs Restaurant scenario, with a rating of 14.7 points." (99% satisfaction)
"System reward: Unlock system store." (Ghost currency purchase)
"Skill reward: Ring of Rights." (Due to the host''s influence, when the opponent''s rage meter exceeds 99%, entering the rights domain, the opponent must offer a valuable item as a price, or face eternal confinement.)
"Ghost creature reward: Cursed Substitute Strawman ¡Á2." (Can negate death once in a scenario, allowing for resurrection.)
"Ghost currency reward: Denomination 100." (Ghost currency to ghost coin ratio is 1:10)
"Territory reward: Obtain Red Moon 24-hour Convenience Store, permanent territory ownership." (Address: Horror World, Ten Thousand Ghosts District, Ghost Lantern Street, No. 76)
"There''s a territory reward?" Qin Nuo was taken aback, he hadn''t expected this.
"Every time youplete a scenario, the host can receive a territory reward in the horror world. The higher the scenario difficulty, the better the territory location."
"Monthly revenue from the territory industry will deduct necessary expenses, with profit automatically deposited into the host''s pocket."
"Of course, poor management could lead to bankruptcy, so don''t think about being a hands-off owner, waiting to collect money."
Qin Nuo understood.
The next time he enters a game scenario, he could check out his store.
Of course, if there is a next time...
Qin Nuo opened the information panel for the Red Moon Convenience Store.
Territory Industry: Red Moon Convenience Store.
Profit: Revenue down 30%pared tost month.
Employees: 2. (12-hour shift system)
Facing issues: Unrepaired damage affecting appearance, undesirable location,petitors stealing business...
Qin Nuo broke into a sweat, are there really that many problems?
Forget it, I''ll leave it for now.
I remember I still have a silver treasure chest in the toolbar that I haven''t opened.
Qin Nuo took it out and clicked to open it.
"Ding, opened silver treasure chest, obtained items: Child''s Urine ¡Á3, Ghost Creature Dismemberment Machete, Ghost Creature Patch Ghost Doll."
"In this world, child''s urine counts as a reward?" Qin Nuo was speechless, this feeling of being struck by lightning was like when he got those few blood-stained sanitary pads before.
But the other two ghost items seemed pretty good.
Without further research, Qin Nuo put all these items back into the toolbar.
At this moment, the scene before his eyes gradually cleared, and Qin Nuo felt a sense of weightlessness in his body, followed by his feetnding on the asphalt road.
When he looked up again, Qin Nuo found himself on the highway of an overpass.
Tang Ming and the others also appeared around him one after another.
Looking at the bright sunshine and the drivers in passing vehicles with expressions like they''d seen a ghost, they all knew they had returned to the original world.
A world without ghosts!
"We''re finally back!"
Everyone cried tears of joy, shouting and celebrating as if they had been liberated.
Chapter 28: End the copy, Qin Nuo older sister!
"The students who were forcibly sent into the horror game have returned!"
This news spread like wildfire, capturing the attention of the entire Dragon Country, causing an uproar online.
Seven days ago, the Jinzhou University school bus plunged into the river, creating a massive sensation.
The reason for the sensation wasn''t the bus falling into the river, but that the 45 university students on board were forcibly sent into a horror game.
During these seven days, almost everyone was concerned about whether these students would make it back.
Now, there was finally an oue.
The reported results left many sighing.
Less than half of the students returned alive!
On the Jinzhou overpass, police officers were involved, sealing off both ends of the bridge, while ambnces and police cars arrived one after another.After Tang Ming and the others had their identities confirmed, they were sent to ambnces to go to the hospital for medical examinations.
"Name."
"Qin Nuo."
"Age."
"......"
A young police officer was recording Qin Nuo''s identity information. Seeing Qin Nuo''s absent-minded look, he sighed and patted his shoulder, "Good kid, I know these seven days were the darkest moments of your life, and you''re grieving for your lostpanions."
"But remember, you came back alive, you''re heroes, and you need to quickly step out of the shadows!"
Qin Nuo blinked and nodded, "Yeah, I know."
In reality, his absent-mindedness wasn''t because of that.
He was thinking about the uing examination process.
"Will the doctors notice something''s wrong with my right hand?"
In the horror game, making a contract with a ghost wasn''t considered a heinous act.
Previously, the news had reported about top yers signing curse contracts with ghosts, gaining high attention, and even directly entering the Ghost Controller organization to serve the Dragon Country.
But Qin Nuo precisely didn''t want to attract high attention.
The more attention, the more trouble.
"Rx, I can disrupt those doctors'' neural perceptions, creating an illusion to help you pass smoothly," the Blood-Eyed Ghost''s voice echoed in his mind.
"Why are you suddenly so kind?" Qin Nuo''s expression was skeptical; wasn''t this guy eager to see him fail?
"I don''t want to be targeted by you humans either," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said tly.
Soon, the students were sent to the hospital, and after a round of examinations, they all came out smoothly. Then, they were sent to the police station to wait for their respective families to pick them up.
In the hall, Tang Ming came over, eagerly asking, "Old Qin, what was your dungeon reward?"
"Some odd trinkets, nothing special," Qin Nuo said inly, touching his nose.
Just average.
He only got rewarded with a convenience store.
"Come on, stop being so humble. You even got to a managerial position in the restaurant; your score must be better than mine."
But Qin Nuo didn''t want to say more, and Tang Ming didn''t press further.
"Let me show you my reward."
Tang Ming looked around, then mysteriously covered the view with his body, pulling out a stinky sock from under his clothes.
"You have this kind of fetish?" Qin Nuo was surprised.
"Get lost, this is a ghost item! Haven''t you seen the news? Those veteran yers can sell a single ghost item for millions on the market!"
"Though mine is a bit low-end, it''s still a ghost item. It should fetch tens or hundreds of thousands, right?"
"Besides, when ites to fetishes, you''re the real deal. Who else would carry a used sanitary pad around?" Tang Ming teased.
"Let me show you my reward," Qin Nuoughed, then took out a bottle of yellow liquid.
Tang Ming asked curiously, "What''s this?"
"I''m not too sure either. The reward said it''s some kind of divine water, and after drinking it, ghosts will avoid you like the gue."
"Damn, this is a treasure!"
Tang Ming''s eyes lit up, "Say no more, let me have a sip first. With this, won''t the dungeon be a breeze?"
Saying that, he twisted open the cap, ready to take a sip.
But as it reached his lips, he noticed something was off¡ªa strong, pungent smell assaulted his nose.
Tang Ming looked at the bottle and finally found the words "boy''s urine" at the bottom.
"Damn it, Old Qin, you bastard! Good thing I didn''t drink it, or I''d have to fight you!" Tang Ming shouted, drawing the attention of many. He quickly covered his mouth and sat down.
Disgustedly, he shoved the boy''s urine back into Qin Nuo''s hand.
"Seriously, boy''s urine? You y so well, but your reward is too cruel. I feel sorry for you for a second," Tang Ming said sympathetically to Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo smiled without a word, putting the boy''s urine away.
He had a feeling this thing mighte in handy someday.
Liu Jiaqi came over.
"Qin Nuo, my parents are here, I''m heading back."
"Thank you for taking care of me these past seven days. I will definitely repay you." For some reason, her cheeks turned a deep red as she said this.
Qin Nuo nodded slightly, "We were ssmates, looking out for each other is only natural."
"Yeah, if you have time next time, I''ll treat you to a meal to properly thank you."
After Liu Jiaqi left, Tang Ming came over, grinning mischievously, "Not bad, Old Qin. I heard you spent thest few days sharing a bed with Liu, the campus belle. Looks like she''s got you wrapped around her finger now, huh?"
"She slept on her side, and I slept on mine."
"In that situation, I wasn''t in the mood for such things," Qin Nuo said.
"You steel-hearted man, I really admire you."
"Rejecting a love opportunity handed to you on a silver tter and even locking the door!" Tang Ming was speechless.
"Boss Qin, our families are here, we''re heading off!"
Zhang Yu and Liu Xing came over, bowing to Qin Nuo at a 90-degree angle, showing immense respect.
"Safe travels," Qin Nuo waved them off.
Tang Ming was astonished, "Weren''t these two guys the ones who ignored you in ss? Why are they acting like they''ve met their benefactor now?"
"Maybe it''s my strong personal charm," Qin Nuo replied casually, checking the time and starting to feel restless.
"Qin Nuo, your family is here, you can leave now," a police officer came over and said.
Qin Nuo bid farewell to Tang Ming and walked out of the police station, spotting a tall, ponytailed girl with a delicate appearance anxiously looking around.
Qin Nuo walked over and waved, "Sis, I''m here!"
"Little brother! I was so worried about you. Thank goodness you made it back alive!"
Qin Yushi''s eyes were red with emotion when she saw Qin Nuo, rushing over to hug him, despite him being half a head taller.
Those two soft mounds pressed right against Qin Nuo''s face.
Soft, yet suffocating!
Passersby couldn''t help but swallow at the sight.
Goodness!
This face wash, I''m envious!
"Sis, let go first, I can''t breathe!" Qin Nuo struggled to say.
Qin Yushi released Qin Nuo and pulled him towards a red Civic, "Say no more, sis will take you for a big meal to wee you back and wash away the bad luck!"
"You probably haven''t eaten well these past seven days, right?"
"Actually, my meals were pretty good. In the game, there was a warm-hearted ghost who often provided me with food for free, solving my three meals," Qin Nuo said.
"There''s such a nice ghost?" Qin Yushi was surprised.
At the same time.
In the corridor of the Nether Springs Restaurant.
The vending machine ghost suddenly sneezed several times, muttering angrily, "I feel like some bastard is cursing me?"
Chapter 29: Sisters curse, best friend Wang Xun!
In the car, Qin Nuo asked, "Sis, where are we going to eat?"
While driving, Qin Yushi made a thoughtful expression, "Let''s go to that Western restaurant you used to love."
"No, no... I don''t like it anymore."
Qin Nuo waved his hand in refusal.
"Why? You used to always beg me to take you there," Qin Yushi asked.
"I just don''t like it now."
Qin Nuo looked ufortable. Just hearing the word "restaurant" made him feel uneasy.
A bit nauseous, even.
"Then let''s go to the grilled fish ce. I remember you liked grilled fish.""It''s rare for you toe back, so let''s eat well. Otherwise, you''ll keep saying I don''t care about you, my little brother!"
"Don''t you have sses at school?" Qin Nuo asked.
Qin Yushi paused before saying, "When I heard you were forced into the Horror Game, I took a few days off. Don''t worry about your sister."
Qin Nuo nodded.
But suddenly, the voice of the Blood-Eyed Ghost echoed in his mind, "Something''s off with your sister."
"What do you mean?"
"There''s a cursed aura around her," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
Qin Nuo''s expression changed slightly. He nced at Qin Yushi, who was humming a tune while driving, and asked, "Are you sure?"
"Believe it or not."
The Blood-Eyed Ghost gave a dismissive look and stopped responding.
A curse?
Is she haunted by a ghost, or what?
Qin Nuo was filled with doubt.
Qin Yushi noticed Qin Nuo''s gaze and smiled, "Little rascal, why are you sneaking nces? Surprised that your sister''s gotten prettier?"
"Yeah, I am." Qin Nuo nodded.
"Not only have you not seen me for months, but you''ve also be cheeky!" Qin Yushi was in a good mood. After worrying for seven days, seeing her lively brother finally put her mind at ease.
They soon arrived at the grilled fish restaurant.
The siblings got out of the car and reserved a table.
"I''ll go to the restroom first."
"Also, a friend of mine will be joining uster. I''ll introduce you."
"Boyfriend?" Qin Nuo asked.
"No, a bestie. She''s very pretty, so don''t embarrass me by drooling over her!"
With that, Qin Yushi left.
Qin Nuo wasn''t focused on the friend but was instead pondering the curse.
He tried to activate the Eye of Analysis.
But back in the real world, he realized that the ghost creatures and skills he acquired in the Horror World were unusable.
Apparently, these things be ineffective once brought out of the Horror World.
"Are you Qin Nuo?"
After a while, a crisp voice came.
Before Qin Nuo could turn around, a long-haired woman sat in front of him.
Her features were exquisite, as if meticulously crafted. Her hair flowed elegantly, and her tight-fitting clothes entuated her slender waist. As she sat, her curvaceous figure was evident.
If his sister was the lively type, then this woman was the epitome of an elegantdy.
"And you are?"
"My name is Wang Xun, a friend of your sister''s. She often tells me about her unusual brother." Wang Xun extended her hand.
Qin Nuo quickly stood up and shook her delicate hand.
Soft and smooth, like warm jade.
"Oh, Little Xun, you got here so quickly?" Qin Yushi eximed as she returned from the restroom.
"Let me introduce you to my..."
"No need, we''ve already met."
"And your brother is just as you described, quite the little flirt," Wang Xunughed.
Only then did Qin Nuo realize he was still holding her hand.
Moreover, his thumb was gently rubbing the smooth back of her hand!
Qin Nuo immediately withdrew his hand and awkwardly said, "Uh, the food''s here. Let''s sit and eat!"
At the same time, Qin Nuo cursed the Blood-Eyed Ghost internally.
His right hand''s antics with Wang Xun were clearly the Blood-Eyed Ghost''s doing!
Qin Yushiughed and gave Qin Nuo a secretive re.
This guy, she had just warned him.
And now, he was already showing his true colors!
Fortunately, Wang Xun didn''t mind.
After sitting down, she said, "When your ssmates were forced into the Horror World, it caused quite a stir over these seven days."
Qin Nuo: "I know."
Being forced into the Horror Game wasn''t umon, but it was usually random selections from various ces.
This was the first time an entire bus of students was sent into the Horror Game due to an ident.
"Which scenario were you in after entering the Horror Game, what was your role, and what was your task?" Wang Xun poured a ss of water and asked.
Qin Nuo''s expression turned odd.
What was this?
An interrogation?
"Little Xun," Qin Yushi reminded.
Wang Xun realized and patted her head,ughing, "Sorry, upational habit. I forgot we''re at a friend''s table."
"What does Sister Wang Xun do?"
"Wang Xun is a police officer, part of the investigation team."
"And she''s also a top-tier yer, having participated in the Horror Game four times and received excellent ratings each time," Qin Yushi said, hugging her best friend''s shoulder with a smile.
"If you have any questions about the Horror Game, feel free to ask me," Wang Xun said.
"Of course, for someone entering the Horror Game for the first time without national protection mechanisms, those seven days must have been a time you''d rather not remember."
"One might even call it a nightmare!"
Wang Xun said with deep understanding.
"It wasn''t too bad."
"I actually had a good time. The ghosts were quite friendly," Qin Nuo said.
Wang Xun''s face froze.
A good time?
Friendly?
Is this newbie talk?
When she first entered the Horror Game, even with protection mechanisms, every day felt like a nightmare!
Let alone without any protection mechanisms!
Qin Yushi said, "My brother said the ghosts were quite friendly, especially one kind-hearted ghost who often gave him food for free, afraid he''d go hungry."
"Are we sure we''re ying the same game?"
Wang Xun was bewildered.
She had questioned many who had entered the Horror Game.
Some were so scared they developed severe mental issues.
Even the less affected ones remained trapped in a shadow of fear they couldn''t shake off.
Qin Nuo''s refreshing take was a first for her!
But soon, Wang Xun understood.
He was lying.
Perhaps to prevent his sister from worrying about him being traumatized.
Or maybe to show off his manliness in front of a beautiful woman.
In any case, Wang Xun didn''t believe Qin Nuo.
She didn''t bother to expose him and said, "It''s rare to see someone with such a good mindset like yours."
"Not being affected by the Horror Game is something to be happy about."
"Right? Don''t be fooled by my brother''s usual unseriousness. He''s really optimistic!" Qin Yushiughed.
"If you had the chance to enter the Horror Game again, would you choose to go?" Wang Xun asked.
"I don''t know." Qin Nuo shook his head.
He pondered this question too.
After all, thanks to his Golden Finger, he received far more rewards than others.
He even owned a private business in the Horror World now!
And the game didn''t seem that difficult.
Moreover, future Horror Games would have national protection mechanisms!
But for now, Qin Nuo wasn''t in a hurry to consider this.
He was more concerned about why his sister had a curse on her.
Chapter 30: Sisters secret, replace and enter!
After the meal, Qin Yushi wanted to take Qin Nuo for a walk, but Wang Xun said she had some matters at the office and had to leave first.
As they were leaving the restaurant, Qin Yushi remembered something and asked Qin Nuo to wait in the car. She then ran over to Wang Xun and whispered something.
"What are they talking about?" Qin Nuo raised an eyebrow slightly.
Even though it might be a little secret between besties, Qin Nuo always felt that his sister was hiding something from him.
He knew Qin Yushi too well.
But they were too far away, and with the wind blowing, he couldn''t hear the conversation at all.
"I heard it," the Blood-Eyed Ghost suddenly said.
"What did they say?" Qin Nuo asked eagerly.
"Not telling you.""......"
"Come on, buddy, we share the same body now. What''s mine is yours, and what''s yours is mine."
"Don''t be so petty, just tell me!"
"I''ll tell you, for a piece of Meat of Taisui!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost said, salivating.
Clearly, it was already hooked on that stuff, the taste was unforgettable!
"This stuff is precious, not some street-side rotten sweet potato."
"Half a piece then."
"Deal!"
In reality, there were only two pieces of Meat of Taisui, and they were gone.
But Qin Nuo found the price of Meat of Taisui in the newly opened system shop, 80 Ghost Currency per piece.
A bit pricey, but if it could help establish a good rtionship with the Blood-Eyed Ghost, it was worth it.
After tasting the Meat of Taisui, the Blood-Eyed Ghost smacked its lips in satisfaction.
"So, what did they say?"
"Your sister is about to be forcibly sent into the Horror Game."
"Why do you say that?" Qin Nuo''s expression changed.
"There are two types of forced entry: one is during an unexpected ident, sending someone who is about to die in."
"The second type involves selecting a scenario and then cing a curse for forced entry two or three days in advance from your human world."
"The first type is rare, and you just happened to be one."
"The second type is moremon."
"Because each scenario in the Horror Game requires yers to participate, but there aren''t enough volunteers. So, the Horror Game selects yers and forces them to participate."
"Without any surprises, your sister should be forcibly sent in these two days!"
The Blood-Eyed Ghost''s words made Qin Nuo''s expression turn grim.
No wonder he always felt his sister was hiding something from him; she was about to be forcibly sent into the Horror World.
"With forced entry, the difficulty of the scenario is random. Some terrifying scenarios have protection mechanisms but can still lead to death."
Qin Nuo asked in a deep voice, "Is Wang Xun here to coach my sister?"
"From their conversation, Wang Xun isn''t just coaching; it seems she''s going to take your sister''s ce in the Horror Game."
"Is that possible?" Qin Nuo was taken aback.
"Humans have a machine to transfer curses. As long as identities are swapped and entered into the Horror Game before forced entry, it can be done," the Blood-Eyed Ghost exined.
"I''ve seen humans do this before, entering the Horror Game for those rich folks afraid of death. The price isn''t cheap!"
"I wonder how much your sister paid to convince Wang Xun?"
Qin Nuo squinted his eyes, looking towards Qin Yushi, and asked, "When are they starting?"
"From the sound of it, probably tomorrow."
The Blood-Eyed Ghost was a bit dissatisfied, "Human, you ask too many questions. If you ask more, it''ll cost extra!"
"No need to ask, I understand."
Qin Nuo withdrew his gaze.
He had a n in mind.
Over there, Wang Xun and Qin Yushi said their goodbyes and returned to the car.
"Sis, what were you talking about for so long?" Qin Nuo asked with a smile.
"Just some girl talk, boys shouldn''t ask too much."
Qin Yushi flicked Qin Nuo''s forehead and started the car.
"Also, Wang Xun ising over to our house tomorrow, dress formally, don''t be so sloppy!"
"Okay, got it."
The next day at noon.
Wang Xun arrived as promised, carrying a bag of fruit and a ck suitcase.
"Little brother, we meet again. You look much more handsome today than yesterday."
Wang Xun smiled slightly upon seeing the formally dressed Qin Nuo.
"I heard from my sister that you wereing today, so I changed in advance."
"By the way, sis, are you nning to introduce Sister Xun to me?"
Qin Yushi secretly pinched Qin Nuo, this little brother of hers, starting again!
Can''t he be more subtle with his words?
Wang Xun didn''t mind, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled, "No problem, I''m still single. Whether you can win me over depends on your skills!"
After some yful banter, Qin Nuo enthusiastically helped Wang Xun bring in her things and curiously asked, "Sister Xun, what''s in this ck suitcase?"
"It''s work stuff, not safe to leave in the car, so I brought it up," Wang Xun said nonchntly.
"Can I open it and take a look?" Qin Nuo seemed very interested and asked.
"Brat, can''t you give your sister a break!" Qin Yushi gave Qin Nuo a hard knock on the head.
"Yushi, didn''t you have something to show me? Let''s go to your room," Wang Xun suddenly said.
Qin Yushi realized and turned to re at Qin Nuo, "Brat, sit here quietly, okay?"
With that, the two women went into the room and locked the door.
Qin Nuo, on the other hand, focused his gaze on the ck suitcase on the table.
"Little Xun, is it okay to leave the suitcase outside?" Qin Yushi asked, knowing Qin Nuo''s habit of fiddling with things, she was worried he might break something important.
"No worries, the suitcase has abination lock, it''s very secure," Wang Xun wasn''t concerned.
"Little Xun, are you really going to take my ce? I feel bad, after all, it''s my problem, and you''re bearing it for me!"
"We''ve been sisters for so many years, you''ve helped me so much, there''s nothing to feel bad about."
"You''ve never participated in a Horror Game, if something happens to you, I''d feel even worse."
"I have four experiences of entering, I''m much more familiar with the rules of the Horror Game than you are, don''t worry," Wang Xun said.
"But I''ve heard it''s very dangerous..."
"Dangerous, yes, but don''t forget the protection mechanism. As long as you follow it, even if the task fails, I cane back."
"Don''t think too much, when Ie back, you owe me a meal!"
In the room, Wang Xunforted Qin Yushi.
Outside the room, Qin Nuo had already taken the ck suitcase into his room and locked the door.
"Is there a way to open this suitcase?" Qin Nuo stared at thebination lock.
"Are you going to take your sister''s ce?" the Blood-Eyed Ghost asked, though it had already guessed.
"Wang Xun may have experience, but the variables in the Horror Game are too many."
"Besides, Qin Yushi is my sister, it''s not right to let an outsider solve it for her!" Qin Nuo said.
"You''ve only participated once, don''t be too arrogant, the Horror Game is deep," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said calmly.
"Aren''t you here with me?" Qin Nuo smiled.
"Hurry up, my sister and Wang Xun will be out soon."
Just as Qin Nuo finished speaking, his right hand suddenly lifted, a sh of blood light, and the numbers on thebination lock started to move automatically.
With a click, the suitcase opened on its own.
Inside the suitcase, there wasn''t much, just a device resembling a pocket watch.
"How do you use it?" Qin Nuo picked up the recement device.
"There should be your sister''s information on it, delete it, then input your information, confirm, and press the red button to enter the game," the Blood-Eyed Ghost exined.
"How do you know so much?"
The Blood-Eyed Ghost said, "There was a guy who used to y on behalf of others, got trapped in a room forever, he had this device, I was bored and figured it out."
Following the Blood-Eyed Ghost''s instructions, Qin Nuo indeed found Qin Yushi''s information on it, deleted it, and then input his own information.
After confirming, his gaze focused on the red button at the top!
Qin Nuo licked his dry lips.
Taking a deep breath, he decisively pressed it.
Immediately, a white light appeared out of nowhere, enveloping Qin Nuo.
In the next instant, he disappeared from the room...
At that moment.
Wang Xun and Qin Yushi came out of the room, seeing the ck suitcase missing from the table, along with Qin Nuo.
"That guy, didn''t I tell him not to touch the suitcase?" Qin Yushi gritted her teeth in anger.
Saying this, she angrily rushed towards Qin Nuo''s room.
"Rx, it has abination lock, he can''t pry it open!" Wang Xun wasn''t worried.
After knocking on the door a few times, there was no response from inside.
Qin Yushi angrily turned to get the spare key from the living room.
The moment she opened the door, Qin Yushi''s little volcano was about to erupt, but she found the room empty.
"Not here?"
Wang Xun was the first to notice the opened ck suitcase on the desk, her face froze for a few seconds, then she quickly stepped forward.
"How did he open the suitcase?!" Wang Xun eximed, her eyes wide with surprise.
Qin Yushi was also bewildered, even checking under the bed to find Qin Nuo.
Wang Xun looked at the missing recement device and suddenly asked, "Yushi, did you tell Qin Nuo about your situation?"
"No, I never mentioned a word of it to him," Qin Yushi said.
Then, she thought of something, her pupils contracted, and she covered her mouth.
"Are you saying..."
Wang Xun nodded, "He went in ce of you into the Horror Game..."
At the same time.
The scene before Qin Nuo''s eyes shifted rapidly like a slideshow, and after a few seconds, a blinding white light appeared before him.
In his ears, that familiar voice sounded again.
"Wee to the Horror Game!"
Chapter 31: Second Copy, Bloodstained Apartment!
A sensation of touching the ground came from beneath his feet, and Qin Nuo appeared in a void space.
Qin Nuo looked around; this time, he was the only one in the space.
Or rather, the other yers had been ced in different spaces.
"Wee back to the Horror Game. This time''s game instance is¡ªBloodstained Apartment."
"Number of yers: 7."
"yers will check into the apartment as tenants. The length of your stay will directly affect your exit rating."
"Instance task: As a tenant, politeness is important. Build good rtionships with your neighbors to gain favorability and earn extra points!"
"Note: There is a serial killer hidden in the apartment who has imed 23 lives. Find the killer before the game ends to receive the highest reward!"
"Note: Since you''re renting, rent must be paid. If your wallet is empty, you can earn tips by fulfilling other tenants'' needs!""Of course, if you mess up, tenants might take something from you, like a limb, heart, eyeball, etc..."
"Protection Mechanism: Each yer receives an extra life token in the game. Die once, and you will be revived. Die a second time, and you''ll really lose your life."
"Note: After dying once, yers can choose to continue or exit the game. Once chosen, the decision cannot be changed."
"Game duration: 10 days."
"Note: The game time to real-world time ratio is 10:1."
"This instance seems much moreplex," Qin Nuo murmured.
However, the protection mechanism is quite nice, essentially giving each person two lives, greatly enhancing the game''s safety.
But Qin Nuo thought carefully and remembered that he was also rewarded with two substitute scarecrows afterpleting thest instance.
He wondered if they could stack with the protection mechanism''s life token. If they could...
Damn, he''d have four lives to y with!
Tsk, it feels like pay-to-win.
"The perfect score task is to find the serial killer in the apartment. The time is 10 days. Even if you don''t find the killer, you can still exit the instance."
"However, there''s no guarantee the killer won''t target them..."
As Qin Nuo pondered the instance rules, a panel appeared before him.
"Preparation time is over. The yer has not set a game name. Please set it and confirm to enter the instance."
"Game name..." Qin Nuo thought for a moment and typed two characters.
"Let''s call it ''Phantom.''"
"yer Phantom registered sessfully, about to enter the game!"
As soon as the words fell, a strong pull enveloped his body, and the scene before him quickly blurred.
The next second, Qin Nuo found himself in a dimly lit hall.
Boom!
Outside, thunder roared, and rain poured down!
The atmosphere inside the hall felt chilly and eerie.
Besides him, six other yers were also transported in one by one.
Four men and three women.
Some wore sses and looked schrly, while others wore vests and appeared muscr, each with distinctive features.
Qin Nuo noticed that their faces had a kind of anime-like blur.
Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Qin Nuo saw that his face had also changed.
Identity anonymized.
Appearance blurred.
"Perhaps it''s also a kind of protection mechanism to increase yer privacy," Qin Nuo thought.
After all, if conflicts arose between yers in the game, there would inevitably be trouble in the real world.
The other yers were clearly not newbies. After getting familiar with the surroundings, the man with sses, anonymously named "Cobra," said, "You all probably aren''t newbies. I don''t need to exin the game information and rules."
"Good luck to everyone. Let''s hope there are no conflicts between us yers."
"Of course, if interests sh, it''s up to each one''s skills!"
"You''re wrong. There''s actually a newbie among us."
The burly man anonymously named "ck Bear" spoke, then looked at Qin Nuo in the corner.
Qin Nuo suddenly noticed that above their heads was a level information bar.
Among the six, the highest was level 6, and the lowest was level 2.
And Qin Nuo was a level 1 newbie.
In the horror game under the protection mechanism, yer information is recorded by the national system. Completing an instance increases your level, but forced entries don''t count.
So, Qin Nuo was ssified as an inexperienced newbie!
In an instant, six pairs of eyes focused on Qin Nuo.
Some were disdainful, others sympathetic.
The female yer anonymously named "ck Rose" nced at Qin Nuo, "Courageous."
The twin-tailed female yer anonymously named "Princess Yao Yao" gave a sympathetic look and kindly advised, "If you die once, choose to exit the game, or you''ll really be gone!"
Qin Nuo smiled slightly, "That won''t do. That would be too boring."
"You can never dissuade an idiot courting death," ck Bear snorted.
"You guys keep chatting; I''m going in first." Cobra didn''t want to waste time on a level 1 guy and withdrew his gaze, heading towards the light inside.
The other yers followed suit.
The light bulb seemed poorly maintained, flickering on and off.
Cobra approached the front desk and asked the apartment boss, "Boss, are there any rooms left?"
The boss at the front desk was an old man, crouched under the drawer doing something.
Hearing the voice, he sat upright, and in the light, half of his face''s decayed flesh was clearly visible.
It was like a pockmarked tofu skin, extremely unsettling!
The yers present all had some experience with horror games, and only Princess Yao Yao shivered slightly, while the others were unfazed.
"How do you seven want to stay?"
The apartment boss nced at the seven, expressionless.
"All single rooms, seven of them."
"You''re in luck; there are exactly seven rooms left."
"Rent is 20 Ghost Currency per day, with a 30 Ghost Currency deposit. Water and electricity may cut off asionally. The apartment has no servers, so manage your own rooms. Apply at the front desk to rece living supplies."
"At eleven o''clock at night, the apartment will lose power. Solve toilet clogs and bathroom hygiene issues yourself."
Qin Nuo and the others twitched their mouths.
Goodness.
With these conditions, it still charges 20 Ghost Currency a day.
It''s a miracle it hasn''t gone bankrupt!
And yet, business is so good there are only seven rooms left!
Cobra didn''t think much and paid the rent and deposit proactively, and the others followed suit.
Then, each person received a key.
Whether by coincidence or not.
Qin Nuo''s key was for room number 404!
What an unlucky number.
Qin Nuo smiled wryly.
Soon, the seven of them went upstairs one after another.
The apartment boss at the front desk added, "Also, some tenants in the apartment have bad tempers. Don''t wander around randomly. If something happens, we''re not responsible."
Qin Nuo heard this and shook his head slightly.
A familiar feeling...
Chapter 32: Strange resident, maid stockings!
In front of Room 404.
Qin Nuo held the key, ncing left and right.
The long, dim corridor was empty, with only him in sight.
Or rather, on the fourth floor, he was the only yer residing there.
"Right now, I have 320 Ghost Currency and 100 Ghost Cash. Staying for 100 days isn''t a problem, but food and drink are."
Moreover, the system shop also required Ghost Currency and Ghost Cash for purchases, so he had to save some for special asions.
Creak.
As the key turned in the lock and the door began to open, he heard two door-opening sounds.
Qin Nuo turned his head to look at Room 405, which had just opened.The door was ajar, revealing a pair of dead-fish-like eyes staring at Qin Nuo.
"Hello, I''m the new tenant..."
Bang!!
Before he could finish, the door mmed shut.
Qin Nuo, ustomed to these somewhat peculiar NPCs, shrugged it off, opened his door, and entered his room.
The room''s condition was predictably poor, with a cup filled with an unknown yellow liquid and a kettle boiling yellowed underwear.
The bathroom drain was clogged with hair, but fortunately, the tap didn''t spew blood.
At least Qin Nuo could take a decent shower.
"The gamests 10 days. If it were Wang Xun, she wouldn''t care about the score, probably just staying in the room to survive the 10 days and exit the instance."
"But with my four lives, how could I just hide?"
"Extra pointse from building rtionships with other tenants in the apartment, the more, the better."
"The tenants love gossiping, and building good rtionships can effectively help in uncovering the hidden serial killer in the apartment!"
Of course, there''s no rush now; better to sleep and deal with things tomorrow.
After a quick wash, Qin Nuo threw the dirty, blood-stained sheets under the bed, used his shirt as a pillow, andy down.
But he hadn''t slept long before there was a banging sound from the next room.
Damn it!
Renovating in the middle of the night?
But remembering the need to establish friendly rtions with neighbors, Qin Nuo held back.
The noise came from Room 405, the guy who had peeked at him.
Separated by just a load-bearing wall, the sound was particrly clear, as if someone was banging their head against the wall.
Feeling troubled?
Qin Nuo felt a bit irritable, covering his ears and trying to sleep.
But he clearly underestimated the hardness of the 405 tenant''s head; it went on for a full 30 minutes without stopping.
Finally unable to bear it, Qin Nuo jumped up, pulled out the Bone-Crushing Hammer, and pounded the wall twice.
"Damn it, can''t sleep in the middle of the night, did your girlfriend run off with someone?"
Surprisingly, after his shout, the noise from next door stopped.
"Demon''s Eye: You sessfully angered your 405 neighbor, gaining 40 Hatred Points!"
"Reward item¡ªck Stockings of a Sexy Maid!"
As the voice echoed, Qin Nuo suddenly found a pair of sexy ck stockings in his hand.
The texture was delicate, exuding a faint fragrance, still warm as if just taken off a smooth, fair leg, sparking the imagination.
But Qin Nuo''s expression was clearly struck by lightning again.
Damn it, these rewards are getting more and more ridiculous!
In this setting, what''s the point of giving me ck stockings?
Just as Qin Nuo set the ck stockings aside, two heavy, violent bangs came from the wall!
The wall shook, and tworge chunks of ster fell off!
The guy on the other side seemed quite enraged.
"Is he going to break through the wall and strangle me?"
Fortunately, Qin Nuo''s worries didn''te true; the two bangs seemed to be just venting anger, and then there was silence.
"These neighbors aren''t as easy to get along with as I thought," Qin Nuo sighed.
He had nned to build good rtions, but on the first day, he had already made an enemy of Room 405.
Deciding not to dwell on it, Qin Nuoy down and finally fell asleep.
The next day, there was no bright sunlight, only the gradually brightening light indicating it was morning.
The morning chill lingered in the corridor.
All the room doors were tightly closed.
"Do these tenants never leave their rooms?"
Puzzled, Qin Nuo went downstairs, his stomach growling with hunger.
He remembered there was food for sale in the lobby on the first floor.
At the corner of the staircase, there was a vending machine filled with human food.
Holding a 20 Ghost Currency note, just as he was about to insert it into the slot, Qin Nuo thought of something and kicked the vending machine twice.
No response.
Qin Nuo stepped back, scrutinized it, and kicked it a few more times.
"If you''re not for eating, move aside and don''t waste my time."
A cold voice came from behind.
ck Rose looked at Qin Nuo as if he were a lunatic.
Qin Nuo exined, "I just wanted to see if it''s really just a vending machine."
Even he felt there was something wrong with his words.
"Idiot."
ck Rose muttered, inserted her Ghost Currency, took two bottles of soda, and left.
Qin Nuo inserted his Ghost Currency and got two portions of fast food in return.
"This instance seems normal, except for the tenants and the apartment boss."
Qin Nuo muttered, taking his fast food and leaving.
At the front desk, the apartment boss was crouched under the counter, fiddling with something.
Unable to resist his curiosity, Qin Nuo peeked.
He didn''t see anything horrifying.
The Old Man was just sitting on a low stool, ying chess.
Hmm...
This second instance''s ghosts all behaved like normal people.
Some were busy with their own things, ying chess!
The Old Man was clearly ying against himself, pondering each move for a long time.
But Qin Nuo noticed a boxbeled "Spoils" next to him.
Arms, legs, tongues, eyeballs¡ªso-called spoils, bloodily nauseating.
He even saw a heart.
A still-beating heart!
It seemed to be connected to a body, full of vitality.
As Qin Nuo stared in shock, the Old Man suddenly looked up, saying, "Young man, interested in a game of chess?"
"If you win, I''ll waive a day''s rent."
"If you lose, just exchange something."
"No, I''m terrible at chess."
Not giving the Old Man a chance to speak, Qin Nuo turned and ran.
As he went upstairs, Qin Nuo thought about knocking on some tenants'' doors after eating, to spread some warmth and at least establish a basic rtionship.
Of course, excluding the perverted tenant from Room 405st night.
Bang!!
But just as he reached the fourth-floornding, there was a loud crashing sound.
Immediately followed by a man''s angry curse: "Damn woman, what the hell did you make, it''s disgusting!"
"Do you believe I''ll kill you?!"
With that, the door to Room 403 was violently flung open.
Bright red blood flowed from the doorway...
Chapter 33: Harmonious family of three, passive task!
Qin Nuo adopted an indifferent attitude, wanting to pass by without a nce and return to his room. But then he reconsidered. Helping tenants resolve family disputes might be a way to establish basic rtionships!
So, Qin Nuo stopped and peeked inside.
Room 403 was in chaos, with hot dishes overturned and steaming. The bones were boiled to mush, and the meat was unrecognizable.
The tenants were a family of three. The man had a ferocious look, veins bulging, eyes bloodshot, and he was grabbing his wife''s hair,mitting domestic violence.
The wife, bleeding from the mouth, wore a strangely calm expression, even showing a chilling smile.
Nearby, a child of about four or five sat on a small stool, pping his hands vigorously and grinning.
"You cooked it!!" the man roared, wishing he could devour his wife.
"Useless trash, can''t you lift the kitchen knife over there?"
"Just like in bed, you''re as useless as that thing of yours..."The wife kept taunting her husband, seemingly deriving great pleasure from it.
In a fit of rage, the man turned to grab the knife on the counter.
But at that moment, the wife, with unexpected strength, stabbed a pair of scissors from her sleeve into the man''s neck as he turned.
Blood sttered!
With a fierce push, the husband fell out the window.
After pushing her husband out, the wife calmly returned to her seat, tidied her hair, and served herself food as if nothing had happened.
The boy continued pping excitedly, his face flushed with excitement, almost out of breath.
"Sweetie, don''tugh while eating, you''ll choke!"
The wife patted the boy''s head, carefully feeding him.
Suddenly, she looked up at Qin Nuo at the door and smiled politely, "You''re from 404, right? Have you eaten? Want toe in for a bowl?"
"No need, I just ate."
"I... heard the noise and came to check if you needed help?" Qin Nuo nced at the open window, his mouth twitching slightly.
"No need, our family is very harmonious. It''s normal to argue asionally. How about a bowl of soup before you go?"
Harmonious...
Is this really what a wife says after killing her husband?
"Maybe next time." Qin Nuo declined the offer, noticing a fingernail in the soup, and quickly left.
It was rare to meet a warm neighbor, but Qin Nuo couldn''t establish a good rtionship with them.
This family was beyond strange.
Crazy?
No, at least crazy people are normally crazy.
Inparison, Qin Nuo suddenly found the tenant in 405 seemed quite normal.
At least he was just a simple fat nerd.
"The tenants in this entire building are not simple," the Blood-Eyed Ghost suddenly spoke.
"Oh, I thought you were hibernating," Qin Nuo joked.
The Blood-Eyed Ghost rolled its eyes and said, "This apartment has a smell that bothers me, I didn''t want toe out."
"What smell? I don''t smell anything," Qin Nuo sniffed the air.
The Blood-Eyed Ghost didn''t exin further, saying, "There''s a very scary ghost hidden in this apartment, be careful of it..."
Qin Nuo was stunned.
Damn!
Could it be referring to that murderous maniac?
"Where is it?"
"I just sense it''s in some corner."
Qin Nuo was speechless, "That''s as good as saying nothing."
"Think about what I said, the tenants in this building are not simple," the Blood-Eyed Ghost repeated.
"Come on, I''m not good at riddles, can''t you just say what you mean?"
But the Blood-Eyed Ghost didn''t reply, seemingly going back to sleep.
"Great, you just came out to mess with my mind."
As Qin Nuo returned to his room, the door of the 405 tenant suddenly opened a crack.
Those dead-fish eyes looked at Qin Nuo with added resentment.
Qin Nuo chuckled awkwardly, "Aboutst night, I..."
"I''ll kill you!!"
Leaving that sentence, the door mmed shut.
So, they really became enemies!
Qin Nuo shook his head. Since he couldn''t build favorability, there was no need to be polite.
If the other party wanted to mess with him, he''d deal with them first!
After finishing his fast food, Qin Nuoy on the chair, letting his stomach digest while pondering the next tenant to visit.
There were only five rooms on each floor.
Having met the tenants of 403 and 405, only 401 and 406 were left.
Qin Nuo felt exhausted.
He just hoped these two tenants would be a bit more normal.
Why was it so hard to get along with neighbors?
Five minutester, Qin Nuo left his room, nning to knock on 401''s door first.
As he passed 403, he suddenly heard cursing from the stairwell.
"Bitch! Whore! I''ll kill you!"
The husband, covered in blood, came back from the stairwell, the scissors still in his neck, his face twisted with rage.
He rushed back into room 403, mming the door shut.
Qin Nuo didn''t bother with them anymore; let the couple handle their own issues.
At the end of the hallway, the door to 401 was actually open!
A strong chill emanated from the room, giving Qin Nuo goosebumps. He peeked inside, "Hello, is anyone there?"
The room was cold and sparsely furnished.
A man sat in a chair, looking up at the creaking ceiling fan.
"Hello, I..."
"You''re the new tenant in 404."
Before Qin Nuo could finish, the man spoke.
"Yes." Qin Nuo didn''t expect the man to be aware of him.
He seemed to be a rtively normal tenant.
"Can you do me a favor?" the man suddenly asked.
"Sure, what is it?"
"Could you speak to thendlord for me? I''ve saved enough for this month''s rent. Can he return my item?"
"I pawned something with him."
Qin Nuo thought this favor didn''t sound difficult and asked, "What did you pawn?"
"My heart."
The man turned, and Qin Nuo saw his left chest was empty, his heart missing.
The incision was neat, with blood vessels clearly visible, like a part removed from a machine.
So, the heart in that box belonged to this guy!
Qin Nuo felt a bit creeped out; was this the consequence of not paying rent?
"Please, help me, I''d be eternally grateful," the man pleaded.
Just as Qin Nuo was about to speak, a system voice echoed in his mind.
"Ding! Host has triggered a passive mission: Retrieve the heart of the 401 tenant within 4 hours to gain +80 favorability!"
"Mission failure penalty: Leave an arm as a souvenir for thendlord!"
"Mission can be refused, but once epted, it cannot be changed!"
Qin Nuo thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I''ll do my best, but I can''t guarantee I''ll get your heart back."
"Thank you."
The man said no more, turning back to gaze at the ceiling, looking lonely and dejected.
After confirming the mission, Qin Nuo left the room.
Old people like to chat, so he could start by chatting with thendlord to build a good rtionship.
But thinking of thendlord''s face, Qin Nuo felt uneasy.
As he went downstairs, Qin Nuo unexpectedly encountered two people.
The yer Cobra and another anonymous yer "Jiang Xiaobai."
They seemed to also be heading to the first-floor lobby to find thendlord...
Chapter 34: Playing against the landlord, flashy moves!
"Isn''t this our little newbie?" Cobra adjusted his sses and smiled slightly.
"Why aren''t you staying in your room? What are you doing out here?"
Qin Nuo replied, "A neighbor lost something and asked me to help retrieve it."
At the mention of the word "neighbor," both Jiang Xiaobai and Cobra''s expressions changed slightly.
This neer had already managed to connect with the residents here so quickly?
In fact, when the game content was first announced, as veteran yers, they already knew how to y this particr instance.
There were essentially two main objectives.
One: Build a good rtionship with the residents of the Bloodstained Apartment to gain favorability.
Two: Identify the serial killer in the apartment.These were the only two ways to achieve a high score in the instance.
So, since moving in yesterday, not only Qin Nuo, but the other six experienced yers had been contemting how to get along with the neighbors.
Inevitably, they all faced a lot of closed doors!
Some residents even bizarrely discouraged them from trying to befriend them!
"Are your neighbors easy to get along with?" Jiang Xiaobai asked, his face a bit dark.
His room was on the third floor, andst night he deliberately used the excuse of a broken bathroom to knock on the door next door.
The resident was a middle-aged man, but from the moment Jiang Xiaobai entered, the man''s gaze was filled with lewdness and greed.
Jiang Xiaobai felt a chill run down his spine under that stare.
When he mentioned borrowing the bathroom, the resident''s eyes lit up with excitement and even thoughtfully offered him a bar of soap!
Terrified, Jiang Xiaobai turned and ran back to his room, adding two more locks to the door!
Damn it!
Even ghosts have preferences!
Recalling the look in that resident''s eyesst night, Jiang Xiaobai''s expression was as if he''d eaten something foul.
"Very easy to get along with, the neighbors are all very friendly," Qin Nuo said, lying through his teeth.
Qin Nuo''s words left the two of them skeptical.
"Where''s the item you helped the resident retrieve?" Cobra asked directly.
"With the oldndlord."
This statement made Cobra and Jiang Xiaobai''s expressions turn a bit peculiar.
"Looks like we have the same goal."
"I received a D-level task to retrieve a resident''s eyeball from thendlord!" Cobra said.
"Mine is also D-level, to retrieve an arm for the resident of 506!" Jiang Xiaobai added.
"That old man likes to collect body parts from others."
"I''m afraid it won''t be that easy to get them back," Jiang Xiaobai said.
"You''re wrong. The residents handed over their body parts because they couldn''t afford the rent, so they used them as coteral."
"In other words, we just need to use Ghost Currency to buy them back!" Cobra analyzed.
Improving the instance score offers benefits far greater than a single rent payment, so it''s not a losing deal.
Therefore, they were more than willing to solve it with money.
They arrived at the first-floor lobby.
This time, thendlord''s chessboard was on the table, and he was immersed in a game with himself, smoking an old pipe.
Without looking up, thendlord knew Qin Nuo and the others had arrived. He moved a chess piece and asked, "What do you want?"
"Old man, we want to retrieve the items that some residents have pawned here," Cobra stated their intention.
"Who are you to them?"
Cobra was momentarily speechless.
Qin Nuo chimed in, "It doesn''t matter, just three good-hearted people willing to help."
The other two looked at Qin Nuo with strange expressions.
That excuse.
Even a ghost wouldn''t believe it!
"Alright." Unexpectedly, the old man nodded in agreement.
Cobra and Jiang Xiaobai were overjoyed and quickly asked, "How much Ghost Currency is needed for redemption?"
The old man sat up straight, his terrifying face lifting as he took a puff of his pipe before saying, "I don''t need that stuff."
"y a game of chess with me. If you win, you can take it back."
Chess!
Cobra and Jiang Xiaobai stared at the box of spoils, their faces twitching, feeling a bad premonition.
"What if we lose?"
"I''ll take something from you."
The old man seemed to enjoy ying chess with others, messing up the chessboard''s pieces and rearranging them, his mouth cracking open to reveal yellow teeth, paired with his terrifying and eerie face, it was quite unsettling.
"Come on, young man."
"If you win, not only can you take back one item, but I''ll also reduce your rent by half. How about that?"
The more enthusiastic the old man was, the more uneasy Cobra and the others felt.
"Old man, are you good at chess?" Cobra tentatively asked.
"Not bad. I once won the district championship and represented the city in a provincialpetition, also winning an award. If there were a ranking, I''d be roughly a nine-dan."
Speaking of the past, the old man was extremely proud, stroking his goatee andughing heartily.
"Old man, sorry to bother you."
Cobra immediately backed out, turning to leave.
Jiang Xiaobai also forced a smile and said, "Landlord, you should y by yourself!"
Thendlord''s face darkened, clearly a bit annoyed.
Cobra''s expression changed, and he quickly exined, "Old man, we''re not very good at chess. ying against us wouldn''t be challenging at all!"
Thendlord''s face softened slightly, sighing, "Young people todayck ambition."
"Next time you interrupt my chess game, each of you will leave something behind."
The old man seemed quite displeased, having his game disrupted like that.
The two nodded quickly.
Thendlord of the Bloodstained Apartment was undoubtedly the most terrifying ghost; otherwise, the residents wouldn''t fear him so much...
Ghost Currency was fine.
But exchanging body parts for favorability was too costly!
Even if they knew how to y chess, they wouldn''t dare y like this!
"Old man, let''s y a game," Qin Nuo agreed.
Thendlord''s murky eyes gleamed, and he smiled, "You''re quite the young man,e on then!"
Cobra and Jiang Xiaobai, who were about to leave, were stunned.
What was this newbie thinking?
Or did he have enough confidence in his chess skills?
Then, they saw Qin Nuo''s move.
He sat down in front of the old man, took out his phone from his pocket, opened the Dragon Country Chess app in single-yer mode, and set the difficulty to hell level.
Qin Nuo smiled and said, "Old man, do you mind if I y chess and use my phone at the same time?"
"Young man, it''s better not to multitask."
"No worries, I don''t need to focus to win at chess."
"¡"
Thendlord''s mouth twitched, feeling insulted, but he said nothing.
This bold move left Cobra and the others dumbfounded.
Damn!
Skill brings courage!
Cheating right in front of him, has this newbie always been this bold?
The game quickly began.
Thendlord yed aggressively and boldly, while Qin Nuo calmly mirrored his moves on the phone, using the hell-level AI''s moves to counter.
After just seven or eight moves, thendlord''s face turned grim, his brows furrowed, as if facing a formidable opponent.
He pondered for a long time before making a move.
Qin Nuo, however, responded within a second.
As the game progressed, thendlord''s face grew increasingly unpleasant.
Even ferocious¡
Cobra and Jiang Xiaobai''s eyes lit up.
This daring method actually worked; perhaps they could learn from this bold move.
However, just as they were entertaining such thoughts, thendlord suddenly looked up, staring intently at Qin Nuo.
His voice, as ifing from a mass grave, was filled with intense hostility: "Kid, what are you looking at on your phone?"
Chapter 35: Top chess skills, main storyline clues!
As he spoke, it was as if he had guessed something. The oldndlord''s body trembled, emitting a terrifying Ghost Aura.
Cobra and Jiang Xiaobai''s expressions changed, and they instantly retreated ten meters away, wearing expressions that said they didn''t know him.
Qin Nuo felt as if a massive weight was pressing down on him, unbearably heavy.
Cold sweat seeped from his forehead inyers!
He had messed up!
"What are you afraid of? Don''t you have two lives? Just y with one!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost taunted.
Just as Qin Nuo was about to retort, a familiar voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Eye of Hell: You have gained +80 Rage Meter from the apartmentndlord, rewarded with the skill¡ªTop-tier Chess Mastery!"
What the¡ª!Damn, this is a hundred times warmer than coal in a snowstorm!
System, you''re like my own father!
"I ask, what were you looking at on your phone!" The oldndlord''s aura grew even more terrifying, the whites of his eyes fading to a pitch-ck, as if possessed.
Suppressing his fear, Qin Nuo calmly said, "I was just ying a little game to pass the time."
As he spoke, he turned the screen to show a game of Candy Crush.
"Alright then, turn off your phone and continue ying chess with me. If you lose, I''ll decide what to take from you!" the oldndlord said coldly, retracting the terrifying Ghost Aura.
"Smartass, really thinks the ghosts in the game are fools," Cobra adjusted his sses and said ndly.
"If you don''t court death, how can you be called Xiaobai?" Jiang Xiaobai smirked. Losing apetitor was no bad thing for them.
However, for a moment there, they really thought they could bluff their way through!
Seeing Qin Nuo put down his phone, the oldndlord regained his confidence, shifting his chess strategy from defense to offense.
Qin Nuo''s gaze returned to the chessboard, feeling entirely different.
It was like a graduate student suddenly facing a fifth-grade exam paper.
Familiar, thorough!
After the oldndlord made a move, dozens of counter-moves instantly appeared in Qin Nuo''s mind.
In fact, after the first move, Qin Nuo could even deduce the next six or seven moves!
Masterful.
Qin Nuo smiled slightly, "Old man, now I''ll get serious."
This sentence made the old man''s face darken again.
The insult felt like a fuse, igniting him even more.
However, ten movester, the oldndlord fell silent.
After a long pause, he slowly spoke, "You won."
The hostility that had been emanating from him quickly dissipated, as he epted his loss wholeheartedly.
Cobra and Jiang Xiaobai, who had been waiting for thendlord to explode, were stunned, suddenly noticing the situation on the chessboard.
The red side had only one general left!
All the guards had been wiped out!
The two exchanged nces.
This guy is so strong, why was he fiddling with his phone at the start?
Qin Nuo smiled slightly, "Old man, I''ve learned a lot."
Hearing "learned a lot" twice, the oldndlord took it as another taunt and asked in a deep voice, "Do you want to redeem that item?"
Qin Nuo pointed to something in the cardboard box.
"Liu Ze''s heart, huh..."
The oldndlord flicked his finger, and the beating heartnded in Qin Nuo''s hand.
It throbbed vigorously, full of life. Qin Nuo was curious, if he crushed this heart, would Liu Ze die?
Qin Nuo thanked him, and the oldndlord waved him off, no longer paying attention, focusing on the chessboard.
This crushing defeat was clearly a huge blow to him!
On the way back, Cobra and Jiang Xiaobai, empty-handed, looked at Qin Nuo, feeling somewhat ufortable.
They hesitated, wanting to ask Qin Nuo to y a game for them, but couldn''t bring themselves to do it.
Two veteran yers asking a newbie for help was too embarrassing!
Qin Nuo didn''t care what they thought. Returning to room 401, he handed the heart to it.
Picking up the heart, Liu Ze was both surprised and excited.
As he gently ced the heart into the cavity in his left chest, in the blink of an eye, Qin Nuo saw it had fully healed, without a single scar.
After pressing the heart back into his body, Liu Ze was silent for a long moment before saying, "If you ever have any trouble, you cane to me."
His tone was very calm, but Qin Nuo could tell Liu Ze was genuinely grateful.
"Not at all, neighbors should help each other," Qin Nuo replied politely.
"Ding, congrattions to the Host for gaining +60 Favorability from the 401 tenant, rewarded with 100 Ghost Power!"
"Ding, congrattions to the Host forpleting a D-level character, receiving an extra rating, to be settled after exiting the game!"
"Ding,pleted ''Minor Task ¡Á1,'' obtained a ''Main Quest'' clue¡ªthere seems to be a secret in the rooftop water tank of the Bloodstained Apartment, why not take a look?"
"The rooftop water tank?" Qin Nuo frowned slightly.
The main quest basically referred to the serial killer.
So the clue must also be about finding the serial killer.
But what clue could be in the water tank?
Hiding a body there?
Qin Nuo thought about finding a time to go to the rooftop, but he remembered the door to the rooftop was locked, so he''d have to get permission from the oldndlord.
"Do you have any trouble?" Liu Ze asked, seeing Qin Nuo standing still, thinking he had some trouble.
"No, Liu, I''ll be going now."
After leaving room 401, Qin Nuo was pondering his next steps when he saw a little girl dressed in a JK uniform carrying a basket of food up the stairs.
She looked scared, ncing behind her from time to time, and identally bumped into Qin Nuo.
"Are you okay?" Qin Nuo asked, realizing how silly the question was.
Could he really hurt a ghost?
Qin Nuo, who also had Ghost Power, immediately saw that the little girl wasn''t human either.
"There''s a bad person following me..."
Following the girl''s gaze, Qin Nuo saw a shadow at the stairway, with a pair of bloodthirsty eyes staring intently at the little girl, filled with insane greed.
Qin Nuo silently took out the Grave Ghost Stone.
Perhaps sensing the threat of the Grave Ghost Stone, the shadow retreated into the hallway.
Qin Nuo suddenly realized, "Could that guy be the serial killer?"
He quickly chased after it, seeing the shadow disappear into the corridor on the third floor.
"He''s a tenant on the third floor," Qin Nuo squinted his eyes.
"Thank you, brother." Seeing the bad person chased away by Qin Nuo, the little girl came over and bowed in thanks.
"Do you know that person?" Qin Nuo asked.
The little girl shook her head, "Every time I go upstairs, as soon as he smells me, he follows me..."
"But once I reach the fourth floor, he doesn''t dare follow anymore."
Qin Nuo pondered, "Don''t you have any adults at home?"
The little girl opened the door to room 402, smiling, "My mom and dad are at home, but they don''t like going out."
"Brother, would you like toe in and sit?"
Qin Nuo looked inside the door.
He didn''t see anyone.
However, there were two chairs in the living room, rocking back and forth.
Invisible ghosts!
Qin Nuo shook his head, "No, just be careful when youe upstairs. If you need anything, knock on the door of room 404. I''m in that room."
The little girl nodded obediently and carried the food into the room.
On his way back, passing room 403 this time, there were no horrifying sounds of fightinging from inside.
Qin Nuo no longer wanted to interfere in the strange disputes of this family of three, avoiding them if possible.
However, as he passed by, the door to room 403 suddenly opened, and a hand reached out to grab Qin Nuo!
Chapter 36: Scumbag husband, third-floor resident!
As soon as the pale hand grabbed him, Qin Nuo reflexively pulled out the Bone-Crushing Hammer and swung it.
The hand instantly withdrew like lightning!
It was the hand of the wife from that family of three. She looked at the wound on the back of her hand and said softly, "I mean no harm, I just wanted to ask for your help."
"Auntie, if you need something, just ask. Yanking someone through the door like that can easily cause trouble!" Qin Nuo said, thinking to himself that this family was definitely a bit off.
"I''m worried that bastard is back..."
Qin Nuo knew she was referring to her husband and asked, "What do you need?"
"Come inside, and I''ll tell you."
Qin Nuo hesitated for a moment at the open door but eventually went in.
Inside the room, it wasn''t as messy asst time. However, in the kitchen, a cleaver was stuck in the cutting board, surrounded by fresh blood and pieces of meat."Hehehe..."
The child of the family of three sat on a stool, staring at Qin Nuo with a strangeugh. That look, as if seeing something delicious, was unsettling.
"Here, have some soup."
The wife warmly brought over a bowl of soup.
Qin Nuo nced at the soup and saw a finger with a ring still on it.
Human flesh.
The residents of the Bloodstained Apartment had a habit of going out to buy groceries in the morning,bined with the mother and child he saw on the ghost busst time.
Qin Nuo could basically confirm that there was a market in the Horror World specifically for ughtering and selling humans.
"Just tell me what you want," Qin Nuo said, pushing the hot soup aside.
The wife nced at her son and said, "I want you to help me kill my husband!"
This couple wanted to kill each other every day, so Qin Nuo wasn''t surprised by such an outrageous request.
"Why me? Besides, your husband is like a cockroach; I can''t kill him!"
Even with a stab to the neck or being pushed off the fourth floor, he would stille back, covered in blood. His vitality was incredibly strong.
Although he thought this, Qin Nuo felt he could use the Grave Ghost Stone to crush him.
After all, he wasn''t an ordinary ghost creature.
"He''s indeed hard to kill, but there''s one person who can kill that beast."
"Who?"
"My daughter."
Qin Nuo looked at the child on the stool with the strangeugh, somewhat astonished: "You have a daughter?"
"Yes."
The wife showed an incredibly sorrowful smile: "She was strangled to death by her own father!"
"That beast, every time he came home drunk, would pull my hair and beat me. I got used to it."
"One time, I was beaten to the brink of death. My daughter was very scared but still came out of her room to beg him to stop. Then he strangled his own daughter to death right in front of me..."
After speaking, the wife showed no expression, but her mouth curled into a smile, filled with a deste resentment.
Qin Nuo remained silent.
He discovered that the residents of the apartment didn''t know they were ghosts.
In other words, what the wife said were real events that happened to them when they were alive.
A real tragedy!
Despite feeling a bit oppressed inside, Qin Nuo still asked, "Where is your daughter now?"
"Room 301, that''s the room we used to live in. She''s trapped there and can''t go anywhere."
"I can feel it; my daughter is in great pain. Her only hope is to drag that beast down with her," the wife said.
"Ding, host triggers a passive task, a request for help from the resident of Room 403: lure the husband to Room 301 toplete the task."
"Task Level: D."
"Can be refused, cannot be changed once confirmed."
Qin Nuo thought for a moment and confirmed the task.
Not just to gain favorability with the residents, but dealing with such scum who hadn''t yet turned to dust was something Qin Nuo was very willing to do.
He initially thought the family of three were all weirdos.
Now he realized that the wife and son became so neurotic probably because of that scum of a father!
"You can''t lure him to Room 301?" Qin Nuo asked.
"He knows his daughter is in that room and doesn''t even dare to step into the third-floor hallway," the wife said.
"But I think you can find a way. Can you help me?"
"I''ll try, but I can''t guarantee sess."
Qin Nuo still said the same thing.
"No worries, you''re a kind child," the wife smiled slightly.
"Are you sure you don''t want to sit down for a meal?"
"No need, maybe next time."
Qin Nuo left Room 403.
"Buddy, a piece of Meat of Taisui, help me out?" Back in his room, Qin Nuo spoke directly.
"Just say what you want to do," the Blood-Eyed Ghost had no resistance to the Meat of Taisui.
"Let''s team up to get that scum ghost into Room 301."
"Your idea is too naive," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said ndly.
"But if you want to try, go ahead."
ording to the wife, the husband would be out gambling every day from noon to three, onlying back if he couldn''t find a game.
Qin Nuo prepared a bit, checked the clock on the wall, and went to the third-floor hallway just before three.
There were three original residents on the third floor; the other two residents were yers "ck Rose" and "Princess Yao Yao," living in Rooms 302 and 306, respectively.
Qin Nuo arrived on the third floor and happened to meet Princess Yao Yao.
She was holding a big bag of food, not staple food to fill the stomach, but snacks to pass the time.
Qin Nuo was embarrassed.
This girl, is she here toplete a dungeon task or on vacation?
Princess Yao Yao saw Qin Nuo and said with some surprise, "Oh, Phantom, you''re not dead yet?"
Qin Nuo didn''t mind this peculiar way of greeting and thought of the shadow that stalked the JK girl yesterday, asking, "How''s your game progress?"
"Not a bit."
"The residents here are too hard to get along with. Yesterday, I took my beloved snacks to get to know the neighbor."
"But they opened the door, saw the snacks in my hand, snatched them, and mmed the door shut!"
"Ugh, that was a week''s worth of snacks, and they just ignored me after taking them. It''s so unfair!" Princess Yao Yao said, feeling wronged.
"So, I''m not interested in the dungeon task. I''ll just stay for ten days and leave,pleting the dungeon!"
Qin Nuo thought to himself, luckily she didn''t open Room 301, or who knows what would have happened.
"What about you?" Princess Yao Yao tilted her head and asked.
"Not bad,pleted a D-level dungeon task, now working on the second one," Qin Nuo said.
"Impressive, doing so well on your first ythrough!"
Saying this, Princess Yao Yao picked up a bag of chips, hesitated, then switched to a lollipop and handed it to Qin Nuo: "Here, good luck!"
"You eat it," Qin Nuo declined, knowing how much she cherished her snacks.
Then, he asked, "Have you noticed any strange residents on the third floor?"
"What do you mean by strange?"
"Peeping, sneaky behavior."
Princess Yao Yao pouted and thought, "I don''t think so."
Qin Nuo nodded, not asking further. This Princess Yao Yao seemed a bit simple-minded, probably didn''t even notice if she was being watched, so he couldn''t get anything useful from her.
Just then, a sound came from the hallway.
Qin Nuo tensed up, thinking the scum ghost had returned.
He turned to look and saw a graceful figure¡ªit was the yer ck Rose.
She saw Qin Nuo and Princess Yao Yao, her frosty face unchanged, and turned to leave.
In her hand, she carried a basket of blood-stained toy parts...
Chapter 37: Speed of light face change, obsession forbidden zone!
"What''s she carrying?" Princess Yao Yao whispered.
Qin Nuo didn''t answer.
ck Rose walked straight to the door of room 304 and knocked.
An olddy with a hunched back opened the door, holding a small ghost with dull gray skin.
"Grandma Li, I found the toys your grandson lost." ck Rose''s frosty face melted into a sweet smile, like a friendly girl next door.
"Thank you so much, dear. It''s rare to see such a kind-hearted girl like you."
"Xiao Yuan, aren''t you going to thank your sister?"
The little ghost, holding his beloved toys, danced with joy. "Thank you, sister. You''re so nice."
"Be good, and don''t be so naughty next time, throwing things around."After the door closed, ck Rose''s smile vanished, her face returning to its cold demeanor, like a face-changing act in a Beijing opera.
Qin Nuo nced at Princess Yao Yao. "Learn from her; that''s how youplete a task."
Princess Yao Yao pursed her lips, saying nothing.
ck Rose approached, scrutinizing Qin Nuo. "I heard youpleted a task for thendlord?"
Qin Nuo checked the time. "I''m on my second one now."
"How about a deal? Win another game from thendlord and get something back for me. Name your price." ck Rose, evidently informed by Cobra, crossed her arms and pushed out her chest.
"Not interested. Money doesn''t appeal to me."
Qin Nuo shook his head without hesitation.
"Think about it. If it doesn''t work out, I''lle to your room tonight for a proper chat?" ck Rose suddenly shed a seductive smile, alluring.
You had to admit, this woman was a master at changing faces.
"What for? To mooch a meal? I''m broke." Qin Nuo spread his hands.
ck Rose''s face darkened, then she smiled calmly. "Since you''re not interested, forget it. I wasn''t that keen anyway."
With that, she turned and left.
Princess Yao Yao stuck out her tongue, muttering, "Such a flirt."
"Fing hell! Lost everything again, damn it!"
"That damn woman must be hiding money. If I find it, she won''t get away with it!"
The cursing voice echoed from the hallway; the scumbag ghost from 403 was back, filled with malice and seething anger.
ck Rose nced at him.
The scumbag ghost noticed ck Rose too, his gaze lingering on her alluring figure, a lewd grin on his grotesque face. "Nice-looking chick, which room are you in?"
ck Rose''s eyes glinted coldly, showing disgust, and she walked away without a word.
The ghosts in the apartment were key topleting tasks, and yers had to avoid provoking them as much as possible.
Princess Yao Yao, clutching her snacks, hid fearfully behind Qin Nuo.
The scumbag ghost leered at ck Rose''s backside, licking his lips with a chuckle, but as he turned to go upstairs, he noticed a pair of eyes fixed on him.
The scumbag ghost red fiercely at Qin Nuo. "Brat, look again, and I''ll gouge your eyes out!"
Qin Nuo said nothing. As the scumbag ghost turned his head, Qin Nuo''s right hand revealed a blood eye, with corpse spots spreading across his arm.
Then, he lunged at the back of the scumbag ghost''s head!
The scumbag ghost barely sensed it before his head was mmed to the ground.
The floor cracked, and the scumbag ghost howled, struggling madly.
With a flick of his arm, Qin Nuo tossed the scumbag ghost into the hallway, pulling out two human bone nails. Before the ghost could get up, Qin Nuo mmed the nails into its skull with his palm.
Instantly, the scumbag ghost let out a piercing scream, white eyes rolling back, copsing to the ground.
This all happened within seconds, leaving ck Rose and Princess Yao Yao stunned.
What was this guy doing?
This was a resident of the apartment; did he really intend to kill him just for a few insults?
ck Rose, shocked, also noticed Qin Nuo''s arm, her heart pounding. "Half-Ghost!"
Wasn''t this his first time in a horror game? When did he merge with a ghost?
Ignoring the two women''s dazed expressions, Qin Nuo dragged the half-dead scumbag ghost towards room 301.
But soon, Qin Nuo realized something was wrong.
As he got closer to room 301, the scumbag ghost grew heavier, ghost aura pouring from its orifices.
Eventually, the floor was dragged into a deep groove!
Qin Nuo couldn''t take another step; the scumbag ghost in his hand felt like a meteor, unbearably heavy!
"What''s going on?" Qin Nuo, sweating profusely, stared at the scumbag ghost in astonishment.
"I told you it wouldn''t work," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said calmly.
The two human bone nails in its skull were pushed out, ttering to the floor!
The half-dead scumbag ghost suddenly opened its eyes, unleashing terrifying strength, breaking free from Qin Nuo''s grip, and retreating to the hallway.
The scumbag ghost red at Qin Nuo but seemed wary of something, turning to run.
In the hallway, the ghost aura dissipated.
ck Rose and Princess Yao Yao looked at Qin Nuo, too shocked to speak.
"Just a minor grudge," Qin Nuo casually exined to them, then left.
Back on the fourth floor, the door to 403 was smashed open, the inside a mess, with many things smashed to pieces.
The wife emerged, covered in blood, unsure if it was hers or her husband''s.
She looked at Qin Nuo, asking softly, "How did it go?"
"It was a bit challenging."
"I''ll think of something else," Qin Nuo said, noticing the knife in the wife''s hand, guessing she had dealt with her husband again.
But clearly, it was all in vain.
Returning to his room, exhausted and reeking, Qin Nuo decided to take a shower.
After washing his face, Qin Nuo asked, "What happened earlier?"
"That was an Obsession Ghost," the Blood-Eyed Ghost replied.
"The harder you push, the less likely it is to work."
"What''s an Obsession Ghost?" Qin Nuo asked.
"When it died, it had immense fear of room 301, bing a vengeful ghost. That fear turned into an obsession."
"Room 301 is its obsession zone. Forcing it will only increase its resistance."
"Unless you can make it enter room 301 on its own!"
Qin Nuo pondered.
"You can''t handle this task, give it up."
"Not necessarily."
Qin Nuo responded, though it was indeed a headache.
After his shower, Qin Nuo emerged from his room.
Leaning back in his chair, he continued to think.
Momentster, an idea struck him, and Qin Nuo opened the system toolbar.
Suddenly, Qin Nuo''s eyes lit up with a n.
Getting dressed, Qin Nuo prepared to leave.
"Where are you going?" the Blood-Eyed Ghost asked.
"To continue the task, of course."
"Just to be clear, if you need my help again, it''ll cost you," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said, licking its lips.
"I won''t need you."
"Tonight, you just watch the show."
Qin Nuo smiled slightly, then left the room.
After leaving room 404, Qin Nuo didn''t notice that the door to 403 also opened, a pair of eyes filled with resentment watching him leave...
Chapter 38: Patch doll, warm scene!
Boom!!
In the dead of night, the scumbag ghost fell from the fourth floor, crashing hard onto the ground.
The concrete''s hardness shattered his body like tofu pudding.
Blood and brain matter sttered everywhere!
A few secondster, the scumbag ghost got up, his flesh and blood slowly regenerating.
He looked up at the fourth-floor window, eyes wide with rage, and roared, "That kid dragged me into that room, it must have something to do with you, you bitch!"
"I swear I''ll chop you up, you worthless woman, and that idiot brat who only knows how tough!!"
The scumbag ghost raged like a madman, constantly howling.
But in the next moment, his voice abruptly stopped.In the hall, the oldndlord stood with his cane, looking at him with a calm gaze.
Yet it sent a chill from the scumbag ghost''s head to his toes!
"I don''t care about you and your wife''s issues, but it''s sleeping time now, and your noise is breaking the apartment''s rules."
"If I hear your voice again, I''ll rip out your tongue, and then your whole family will be kicked out of the apartment," the oldndlord said calmly, then slowly disappeared into the darkness with his cane.
The scumbag ghost was as silent as a cicada in winter, not daring to utter another word.
Only after thendlord had left for a long time did he dare to go upstairs.
But his anger was still unabated, gripping a machete tightly as he climbed, exuding a murderous aura.
However, as he reached the third floor, his steps suddenly halted.
In the moonlight, ck Rose''s exquisite face exuded a stunning beauty.
"I''ve looked into your family''s affairs."
"No matter how angry you are, you can''t kill your wife."
"Why not cooperate with me? I''ll kill your wife for you, how about that?" ck Rose''s voice was seductive, carrying an inexplicable allure.
It was true.
The couple had been fighting each other for years, yet neither could kill the other.
Even if they were smashed to pieces, they would both return to Room 403 the next day.
The scumbag ghost''s greedy eyes roamed crazily over ck Rose''s curvaceous figure.
His eyes showed excitement, like a starving wolf seeing a plump sheep, ready to skin it alive!
However, the scumbag ghost still maintained his sanity and asked, "So kind to help me, what do you want?"
"There are a few people in the apartment I dislike, deal with them for me, that''s my condition," ck Rose said lightly.
The scumbag ghost stepped forward, his dry fingers lifting her smooth chin, his mouth cracking into a sinister smile, "But it sounds like I''m still at a disadvantage!"
ck Rose snorted with a smile, unfazed, and also reached out her slender fingers to lift the scumbag ghost''s decaying chin, "Then what else do you want?"
The scumbag ghost''s gaze lowered, chuckling, "That depends on your performance."
"Alright,e to my room, and I''ll show you my performance."
ck Rose stirred the scumbag ghost''s emotions and turned to walk toward the room.
The scumbag ghost greedily inhaled the lingering fragrance in the air and followed closely.
Creak!
The door opened, ck Rose pulled the scumbag ghost''s hand, her voice teasing his ear, "Come in."
The scumbag ghost seemed to have his soul hooked, being led inside.
But just as his foot stepped over the threshold, he suddenly stopped!
The scumbag ghost''s eyes shifted a few times, suddenly turning fierce, "No, you''re not that woman from the day!"
Veins bulged on his arm as he yanked the ck Rose from the room.
In the blink of an eye, ck Rose disappeared.
What he held was a doll full of patches!
"This is..."
Realizing something, the scumbag ghost looked up sharply, discovering the room in front of him wasn''t Room 302, but Room 301!
And the door was already open!
Inside Room 301, it was pitch ck, like an abyss, with a chilling wind scraping his face.
"A trap!!"
In an instant, the scumbag ghost finally realized, looking at the darkness inside the room, his whole body trembled uncontrobly, as if facing the most terrifying thing.
"Daddy, you''re here?"
In the darkness, a naive girl''s voice came through.
The scumbag ghost turned to run, desperately rushing toward the hallway.
"Since you''re at the door, why not meet your own daughter?"
"Father and daughter haven''t seen each other for years, reuniting is such a warm and touching scene, don''t you think?"
Qin Nuo blocked the scumbag ghost''s path, smiling as he spoke, holding the Grave Ghost Stone, and smashed it hard on the scumbag ghost''s forehead.
The Horror Level ghost creature''s strength made the scumbag ghost lose consciousness momentarily, his body staggering backward, one foot stepping into the room.
The scumbag ghost''s expression twisted in terror, trying to pull back his foot, but a powerful suction enveloped his body.
Even though the scumbag ghost struggled desperately, his body was still slowly swallowed by the darkness inside the room.
He reached out, gripping the door frame tightly, shouting in panic, "No!!"
A pair of pale little hands reached out from the darkness, wrapping around the scumbag ghost''s neck.
A ghastly little girl''s face appeared on the scumbag ghost''s shoulder, showing a creepy smile, "Daddy, I''ve waited so long for you, you''re finally here!"
In the end, the scumbag ghost''s hand let go, pulled into the bottomless room by his own daughter.
The blood-curdling screams echoed continuously inside the room...
Bang!
Qin Nuo closed the door to Room 301, the sound abruptly stopping!
Qin Nuo picked up the patched doll from the floor without expression.
The Patchwork Ghost Doll!
This was an item obtained from a silver chest afterpleting the first set of scenarios.
It could create illusions for ghosts, transforming the surrounding scene while itself bing the thing most desired in the target''s heart.
"Unless you can make him walk in on his own!"
The Blood-Eyed Ghost''s words had awakened Qin Nuo, who thought of using the Patchwork Ghost Doll to deal with the scumbag ghost, which was perfect.
"How many ghost creatures do you have on you?"
"But I must say, your method is indeed quite clever," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
"That scumbag is so lost in indulgence that he''s beyond redemption, his resistance and discernment are practically zero, so I believed he would fall for such a clumsy trap," Qin Nuo said.
Next door in Room 302, a door crack opened, and a pair of eyes peeked out.
Princess Yao Yao had been hiding under the covers in fear since she heard the terrifying sounds earlier.
After confirming there was no sound, she cautiously opened the door, saw it was Qin Nuo, and breathed a sigh of relief, opening the door fully, patting her t chest, and said, "You scared me to death, what are you doing in the middle of the night, wailing like a ghost in the third-floor hallway?"
Qin Nuo said, "It wasn''t me, it was the tenant upstairs."
Princess Yao Yao looked puzzled, scratching her head, "What did you do?"
"Did a good deed."
Qin Nuo smiled slightly, "Helped a kind and loving father reunite with his long-lost daughter."
"The father and daughter are now in Room 301, embracing and crying together."
Chapter 39: Super chubby, easy to break!
Returning from the third floor, Qin Nuo found the door to room 403 open and walked over.
Inside, the wife was gently soothing her sleeping child, a soft smile on her lips. The scene was rare in its tranquility, devoid of any eerie discord.
"Your husband went into room 301; he probably won''t being back," Qin Nuo said.
"I know, my daughter already told me."
The wife gently carried the child into the room, then came out a momentter to sincerely thank him, "Thank you for helping my daughter fulfill her wish."
"Just helping out a neighbor," Qin Nuo replied.
He could somewhat tell that the daughter''s resentment towards her father was secondary; the main reason was her unwillingness to see her mother and brother suffer daily beatings from her father, prompting her to take her own father away.
"Ding, congrattions to the Host for gaining +60 Favorability from the resident of 403,pleting the D-level side quest. Additional scores will be calcted after exiting the instance!"
"Angel''s Kiss: Gain Favorability, reward Ghost Power +80!"The second side quest was finallypleted.
"Well, Auntie, have a good rest. I won''t disturb you," Qin Nuo said.
Although the wife''s expression seemed to show the pain of losing her husband, Qin Nuo knew her sorrow was not for her scumbag husband but for her unfortunate daughter.
Returning from room 403 to room 404, as Qin Nuo twisted the doorknob, the Blood-Eyed Ghost suddenly spoke, "Someone''s been in your room."
Qin Nuo paused, entered the room silently, and found no signs of disorder.
"Are you sure?"
"There¡¯s a scent of another kind, believe it or not," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said indifferently.
Qin Nuo frowned.
From the Blood-Eyed Ghost¡¯s words, the intruder wasn''t a yer but a resident.
Nothing was missing.
So what was the purpose ofing in?
A nce around, and Qin Nuo noticed that the maid''s stockings he had casually tossed aside that night were gone.
In an instant, Qin Nuo identified the thief.
"The resident of 405 is the prime suspect."
"No, it''s almost certainly him!"
That guy had a grudge against him, sneaked into the room while he was out, trying to mess with him in revenge.
But he didn''t touch anything, just took the stockings hanging on the chair.
Recalling the strange behavior of the 405 resident that night, Qin Nuo suddenly understood.
"That ghost holds a great grudge against you. Want me to deal with it? Just give me something to eat," the Blood-Eyed Ghost offered.
"No need."
"The theme of this instance is to maintain good rtions with neighbors. Why escte the conflict?" Qin Nuo said.
Although provoking the other party could also yield rewards, it would affect the instance''s score.
"Is there still a chance to resolve the conflict?" the Blood-Eyed Ghost scoffed.
Qin Nuo said no more, walked out of 404, and went straight to knock on the door of room 405.
After two knocks, there was no response.
Qin Nuo knocked harder.
The door opened a crack, and a pair of unfriendly eyes peered out, "What do you want?"
"Did you enter my room? Something''s missing," Qin Nuo asked.
The 405 resident''s eyes were fierce, but Qin Nuo caught a hint of panic in them.
"No, get lost!!"
He tried to close the door, but Qin Nuo held it open with his hand.
"Are you sure? Should we call thendlord to discuss?" Qin Nuo said with a smile.
The other party said nothing, just tried to close the door.
Qin Nuo''s Ghost Power was not insignificant now, and despite the 405 resident''s efforts, the door remained wedged open by Qin Nuo.
But soon, Qin Nuo retracted his sharp gaze, smiling, "You misunderstood, I wasn''t using you, just asking."
"Since you say it wasn''t you, I trust your character. It definitely wasn''t you."
The atmosphere suddenly became friendly.
This caught the 405 resident off guard.
"Then move your foot!" the 405 resident said, still with a sour face.
"Don''t rush, I came to apologize for that night, very sincerely. My tone was too harsh then."
"Aspensation, I prepared a gift for you."
"Not interested, get lost!"
"Just take a look."
As he spoke, Qin Nuo magically produced a life-sized body pillow from behind him.
The pillowcase featured a bikini-d anime girl in a seductive pose.
A private custom edition!
The 405 resident, who had been extremely resistant, was instantly captivated, unable to tear his eyes away from the pillow.
It was as if he had seen his dream goddess, his eyes filled with fervor and an irresistible desire to possess!
His eyes almost turned into heart shapes.
Qin Nuo''s lips curled into a smile.
As expected, the 405 resident was a super otaku.
Qin Nuo knew exactly how to handle otakus.
They spent all day holed up in their rooms, never stepping outside, immersed in fantasies of anime girls, craving anything rted to anime.
And an anime body pillow was like a bombshell to them!
Zero resistance.
"This is my family heirloom, took a lot of effort to get it, the touch is superb, sleeping with it feels like holding your wife, the feeling is indescribably wonderful."
Qin Nuo feigned a pained expression of parting with a treasure, "I''m giving it to you as an apology gift, please ept it!"
The other party couldn''t believe it, "Are you sure?"
"I''m starting to regret it."
"Words are like water spilled! It''s mine now!"
The door suddenly opened, and the other party snatched the pillow, hugging it tightly, the pillow''s fragrance making his eyes dreamy, his expression intoxicated.
Only then did Qin Nuo get a clear look at the 405 resident.
Disheveled hair, a pale face full of fat, clothes stretched tight,yers of fat spilling over a barrel-like waist.
A bona fide fat nerd!
That maid''s stocking was definitely stolen by this guy!
Even as a ghost, still so obsessed, it just shows the invincible hold anime has over otakus!
Qin Nuo smiled, "Can you ept my apology now?"
The Fat Homebody Ghost nodded with infatuation, "epted, epted!"
"Ding, congrattions to the Host for gaining Favorability from the 405 resident,pleting a hidden D-level task. Additional scores will be calcted after exiting the instance!"
"Angel''s Eye: You gained +100 Favorability from the 405 resident, earning a reward of +100 Ghost Currency!"
Qin Nuo was secretly pleased, spending 10 Ghost Currency to buy a pillow from the System Mall, not onlypleting the third D-level task but also earning tenfold profit, this deal was just too good.
The Fat Homebody Ghost had no idea it was bought for 10 Ghost Currency, thinking it was truly Qin Nuo''s most treasured possession.
His eyes were almost tearful with gratitude!
"From now on, you''re my brother, through thick and thin!"
"Good brother, no need to be so formal."
As he left, Qin Nuo paused and added, "Brother, take good care of my treasure."
"She''s not of great quality, easy to puncture."
Chapter 40: Another blow, rooftop clue!
Afterpleting the D-level tasks for several residents on the fourth floor, Qin Nuo took a day off to rx.
The next day, Qin Nuo focused his thoughts on the clue he obtained from the task.
The rooftop water tank.
He had to check it out.
After all,pleting the main task of this instance was Qin Nuo''s goal.
Everyone has apetitive spirit.
Who wouldn''t want to get the MVP rating?
So, he had to deal with the oldndlord, since the key was in his hands.
On his way downstairs, he unexpectedly ran into the bulky yer known anonymously as "ck Bear."Compared to the first day of the game, he looked much worse, his once dominant aura almostpletely worn away.
Moreover, his right eye was bloodied and shut.
"How did you lose an eye?" Qin Nuo asked directly.
As if his sore spot had been touched, ck Bear''s face darkened, and he said coldly, "Don''t you dare mock me. Even though I lost an eye, at least I got a clue and identified the killer hiding in the apartment."
"You know who the killer is?" Qin Nuo was stunned.
It''s only been two days, and this progress is a bit fast!
ck Bear sneered and walked away, clearly unwilling to share the fruits of his victory with Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo blinked and pondered as he went downstairs.
In the lobby, the oldndlord was, as usual, sitting there ying chess by himself.
Qin Nuo walked over and smiled, "Old man, have you eaten?"
"Get to the point."
"Do you have the key to the iron door on the rooftop? I want to go up and get some fresh air," Qin Nuo said.
"I have the key."
"y a game of chess with me, and if you win, I''ll give it to you."
The oldndlord didn''t care about such a flimsy excuse, straightened his body, and his cloudy eyes shone with a bright gleam.
Apparently, after losing thest game, he had recovered from his depression and frustration.
He regained his confidence, and with a wave of his hand, the messy chessboard was neatly arranged.
"Alright, old man, if I win, you have to keep your word." Qin Nuo sat down.
"This time, you won''t win..."
After saying that, he hesitated for a moment and added, "At least, you won''t win so easily."
However,
Five minutester.
The oldndlord looked at the chessboard and fell into a gloomy silence again.
His regained confidence was shattered once more.
On the chessboard, Qin Nuo''s pieces had almost all advanced.
And the red side, just likest time, was left with only one king!
Surrounded on all sides, with enemies everywhere.
It was truly a "king" in distress!
Qin Nuo looked at the oldndlord''s existential crisis expression and patted his head.
Tsk, why am I socking in emotional intelligence?
Did I have to win so brutally?
This old man is a big connection, who knows when I might need his help in the future!
"Old man, maybe you''re not in the best state, how about we y another game?" Qin Nuo suggested.
"Not in the mood, I need to review the game."
The oldndlord said with a sullen face, casually tossing the key to Qin Nuo.
Well, one game of chess, and all the favorability was gone.
Qin Nuo got up, bid farewell to the old man, and returned to the stairway, only to be stopped by someone.
ck Rose was wearing a ck cheongsam today, her sexy figure even more pronounced. "You''re going to the rooftop?"
"Just to get some fresh air," Qin Nuo shrugged.
"Don''t treat me like that old man."
"You''re going to the rooftop, it must be rted to the main task clue."
Qin Nuo was a bit surprised, "You have a clue too?"
"The second instance task Ipleted yesterday provided a clue, the rooftop water tank," ck Rose said.
Qin Nuo was speechless, "This clue is shared, it''s exactly the same."
Originally, after ck Rose got this clue, she spent a whole day trying to get the key from the oldndlord without sess. She didn''t expect to run into Qin Nuo, leading to this scene.
"Let''s go, let''s go up together," ck Rose smiled.
Qin Nuo was quite unwilling, but remembering how he used her body to lure the scumbag ghostst night, he felt guilty and didn''t refuse.
"I heard ck Bear identified the killer in the apartment?" Qin Nuo asked as they went upstairs.
"Not sure."
"That guy got into a conflict with a resident next door yesterday and lost an eye. Today, he suddenly got excited for no reason," ck Rose said lightly.
Qin Nuo thought of the shadow on the third floor yesterday, wondering if he should ask ck Rose, but ultimately dismissed the idea.
Better to check out the rooftop first.
The iron door on the rooftop was rusty, and the lock was corroded. It took quite a bit of effort to open it.
On the rooftop, there was asphalt everywhere, and it was overgrown with vegetation. Although it looked green at a nce, it felt lifeless and dead.
Under the gray sky, the two of them came to the railing.
For the first time, they looked down at this so-called Horror World from a bird''s-eye view.
"Isn''t it shocking? This is the face of this world."
"What you see is just the surface. This apartment is like our umbre. Within the instance range, we follow the game rules, and the ghosts won''t touch us."
"But once we leave the apartment, all these rules be invalid, and we instantly be rats crossing the street, ready to be devoured at any moment!"
ck Rose spoke to Qin Nuo in a seasoned tone.
She had once left the instance range in a previous instance, and in just two minutes, she was scared to the point of rolling back.
It was a shadow she couldn''t shake off for the rest of her life.
Awlessnd, life treated like dirt, humans no longer the masters, just mere food on the chopping block.
She wanted Qin Nuo to feel this sense of insignificance and despair.
But Qin Nuo, with a rxed expression, said, "It''s just leaving an instance, I''ve been out."
"You''ve been out?" ck Rose was shocked.
"The first instance, I was forcibly sent in."
"At that time, the boss sent me on a business trip, so I went. When I got on the bus, some ghosts had ideas about me, but after I beat them up, they sat back down obediently," Qin Nuo said nonchntly.
These words left ck Rose speechless.
Forcibly sent into an instance.
Leaving the instance without a protection mechanism!
How did he survive?
Qin Nuo looked at ck Rose''s expression and felt likeughing.
If she knew he had a convenience store business in the Horror World, what expression would she have?
"Do you men always like to brag?" ck Rose, after recovering from her shock, turned sullen, as if she had been insulted, and said in a deep voice.
However, despite her words of disbelief, ck Rose quietly watched Qin Nuo''s expression, seemingly trying to catch something.
"Believe it or not."
"I''m not in the mood to discuss this with you."
Qin Nuo couldn''t be bothered to exin, turning to walk towards the water tank not far away.
There was only one water tank on the rooftop, already overgrown with nts.
Qin Nuo jumped up and used Ghost Power to directly lift the concrete b and fling it aside.
ck Rose watched as the concrete b was flung several meters away like garbage, shattering upon impact, her eyebrows furrowing, her eyes narrowing slightly.
In fact, since Qin Nuo dealt with the scumbag ghost yesterday, she had started to have suspicions.
Whether it was the secret of the Half-Ghost, or his calm handling of the instance, and his rich experience.
Qin Nuo''s performance had nothing to do with a newbie!
Now, with those words just now.
ck Rose could almost conclude.
"This Phantom is not a newbie."
"He''s a hidden big shot!"
Chapter 41: Water pool discovered, all personnel assemble!
The water tank still had water in it, but it hadn''t been cleaned in who knows how long, and the water had turned ck.
Qin Nuo was prepared to see a bloated corpse floating on the surface or dposed body parts dissolved into pus.
But since he could still see the bottom of the tank and there was no stench of decay in the air, Qin Nuo could conclude.
The tank hadn''t been used to dispose of a body.
So why did the clues point to the water tank?
"Any discoveries?" ck Rose came over to ask.
"Nothing at all."
Qin Nuo shook his head and jumped down from the water tank.
"How can that be? Can clues be false?" ck Rose also leaned over, but after looking for a long time, she couldn''t see anything.Qin Nuo circled the water tank and suddenly noticed numerous scratch marks under a corner of the wall.
The scratches were chaotic, with dark red scabs around them, traces of blood.
Clearly, they were made by hand, and the fingers had already rotted away.
But it seemed like it had been a long time, the marks almost weathered and blurred.
"Who would be so bored toe to the rooftop and scratch the water tank, wearing down their nails?" Although Qin Nuo said this, some horrifying thoughts emerged in his mind.
ck Rose came down as well.
Qin Nuo turned and walked towards the main door.
"Leaving already?" ck Rose asked.
"No leads, if you want to search, do it yourself."
Although he found some suspicious marks, they didn''t point to any particr resident, making the clue useless to Qin Nuo.
ck Rose could only follow him downstairs.
Back on the ground floor, Qin Nuo saw the little girl from room 402 again, carrying her small backpack upstairs, her body trembling slightly, her expression full of fear.
Qin Nuo walked down and asked, "Were you followed by that bad guy again?"
The little girl was clearly terrified, cold sweat on her forehead, nodding, "This time he even tried to grab me, but luckily a resident on the third floor came out to throw out the trash, and he ran away."
"Did you see which room he ran to?" Qin Nuo asked.
It could be confirmed that even if the shadow wasn''t the killer they were looking for, there was definitely something wrong with him.
"No." The little girl shook her head.
Qin Nuo stood up, pinching his chin in thought.
On the third floor, rooms 301, 302, and 306 could be ruled out.
So, the shadow must be a resident of one of the other three rooms.
ck Rose also came down, nced at the little girl, her expression changing slightly, "What''s wrong?"
Qin Nuo didn''t speak, contemting whether to knock on each door directly.
"That guy is the resident of 305."
The wife of a family of three, Xiao Yuan''s mother, stood at the door, speaking to Qin Nuo.
"Auntie, how do you know?" Qin Nuo was taken aback.
"Every time Ie up with my child, that guy always opens a crack in the door, staring intently at my child."
"I''ve seen it too, that guy almost never leaves his room, and no one has seen what he looks like."
"But he seems very interested in underage children, he can smell them as soon as they pass the third-floor corridor!"
Liu Ze also came out from room 406, providing information to Qin Nuo.
"That guy''s gaze is very unsettling, I wanted to drag him out and warn him, but he keeps his door tightly shut."
Liu Ze said, "Later, we reported it to the old man, but his response was that the guy pays rent on time every month and hasn''t harmed any residents, so the report was dismissed."
"And then the matter was left unresolved."
The old man''s words made sense.
The residents didn''t want to cause trouble, so no one brought it up again.
But Qin Nuo and the others, as yers, were different.
They didn''t want to let go of a suspect involved in the main storyline task.
"Alright, I understand." Qin Nuo nodded, turning to go downstairs.
The door to room 405 also opened, and the Fat Homebody Ghost came out, holding a spiked club, saying fiercely, "Good brother, I''ll help you!"
"No need, I can handle it myself." Qin Nuo declined, too many people would be counterproductive.
ck Rose was stunned.
Almost the entire floor of residents hade out!
Judging by the conversation, these residents seemed to have a good rtionship with Qin Nuo?
"It''s only the third day, and he''s already connected with all the residents on the fourth floor?" ck Rose was shocked internally.
She had worked hard for three days and only managed to get along well with the grandmother and granddaughter on the second floor.
"This guy must be a diplomatic master, so good at talking?" ck Rose thought to herself.
Declining the goodwill of the fourth-floor residents, Qin Nuo went down to the third floor.
ck Rose quickly followed, surprised but having heard the conversation clearly.
The killer was about to be exposed!
On the third floor, Qin Nuo and ck Rose suddenly froze.
Because in the third-floor corridor, besides the two of them, all the other yers had gathered there.
Seeing the two of them, ck Bear held his forehead, looking utterly defeated.
"Great, two more, everyone''s here!"
"What, having a party? So lively." Qin Nuoughed.
Cobra adjusted his sses and said, "Since everyone''s here, there''s no need to hide anything."
"Based on the information we''ve all gathered from the residents, the guy in room 305 is most likely the killer we''re looking for!"
"The target of this instance''s main storyline task!"
ck Roseughed, "What a coincidence, we just got the clue from the residents on the fourth floor."
Jiang Xiaobai said, "Since everyone knows, there''s nothing more to say."
"Let''s go together and drag out the guy in 305, we''ll all share the main task''s rewards and ratings!"
The other yers nodded in agreement.
ck Bear''s face darkened, but he also agreed.
He thought he was the only one who knew this clue.
He was excited all night, nning to drag out the killer himself and enjoy the reward alone.
In the end, fuck, everyone knew!
"Ah! So the resident of 305 is the killer, great, let''s go together!"
Princess Yao Yao, a bit slow on the uptake, finally understood the situation, happily holding her food, dancing with joy.
For the past three days, she had either been eating or sleeping, oblivious to the outside world.
The task clues hadn''t progressed at all.
She just heard themotion in the corridor and came out with her chips to join in, unexpectedly getting a share!
Everyone: "..."
Cobra coughed twice, "Let''s go, don''t waste time!"
"Drag out that guy, split the instance reward!"
With that, the group immediately headed towards room 305.
Cobra led the way, knocking on the door of room 305 a few times.
No response, no movement.
Knocked a few more times, still the same.
"What''s the use of that, as if that guy woulde out!"
ck Bear pushed Cobra aside, lifted a foot, and kicked hard at the door.
With a bang, the door was kicked open.
And when everyone looked inside the room, they were all stunned...
Chapter 42: A golden medal for immunity from death, as if in a deep abyss!
The room was enveloped in endless darkness.
A thick Ghost Aura surged forth, causing Cobra to shiver a few times and involuntarily step back.
"What¡¯s going on in this room?"
"It''s that guy''s trick," Jiang Xiaobai said.
"Does he think hiding will stop us from finding him?" ck Bear sneered.
"But this works too. Whoever catches him first gets the reward. How about we rely on our skills?"
The others blinked and nodded, showing no objections.
"Of course, if you''re scared, don''te in. Losing a life in there isn''t worth it."
ck Bear nced at Princess Yao Yao."Ah, you guys go ahead. I''ll cheer for you from outside," Princess Yao Yao said, shrinking back in fear as she stared into the darkness.
Except for her, the others all took out their Ghost Creatures, which they used as weapons.
Under the Protection Mechanism, they had a life as a guarantee, giving them a lot of courage.
After all, this was a crucial step topleting the main quest, and no one wanted to miss it.
Led by Cobra and ck Bear, the other four followed them into the room.
Once inside, they could still see each other, but beyond two meters, their bodies were swallowed by darkness, and nothing was visible.
"That guy is hiding in some corner. Let''s split up and search; he can''t escape."
ck Bear''s Ghost Creature was a pair of brass knuckles on his hands. He swung his fist into the darkness ahead and started searching in one direction.
The others followed his suggestion and scattered.
"Why aren''t you moving?" ck Rose asked Qin Nuo, who remained still.
"Anyone who''s watched horror movies knows that splitting up is the dumbest move, leading to an early demise."
"You think you''re searching for him, but you''re actually giving him a chance to pick you off one by one."
"Better to stay put and wait for them to tire themselves out, then act." Qin Nuo said calmly, crossing his arms.
Their group hade in force, giving ck Bear and the others the illusion that the resident of 305 had nowhere to run and was hiding.
In reality...
Perhaps they had already been watching us.
ck Rose''s eyes shifted, thinking that in such a situation, this guy could still think calmly.
She hesitated but didn''t move, standing behind Qin Nuo.
Covered by the ck aura, the room''s structure seemed altered, the space muchrger than they had imagined.
In the darkness, there were asional noises, the sounds of ck Bear and the others searching.
Qin Nuo asked the Blood-Eyed Ghost, "Can you catch that guy''s scent?"
"These Ghost Auras have a confusing effect. It''s mixed in with them, like a drop of water in the ocean, impossible to find."
The Blood-Eyed Ghost replied coolly.
"Unless you can mark it with a special scent!"
Qin Nuo''s eyes flickered as he pondered a strategy.
At that moment, footsteps approached from ahead.
ck Bear returned, panting and somewhat frustrated, "Fing hell, it''s like being blind. Who knows where that guy is hiding!"
Soon, the other three returned as well.
All came back empty-handed.
"This isn''t working," Cobra thought for a moment and said, "Maybe we can ask other residents for help; they might have a way."
The residents here aren''t friendly with that guy, so asking for help shouldn''t be hard.
"I have a good rtionship with one resident; I''ll go ask them," Jiang Xiaobai said proudly.
As he was about to turn and leave, Qin Nuo suddenly said, "Its goal was to lure us in."
"Do you think it will just sit and wait?"
Cobra frowned, "What do you mean?"
"Haven''t you noticed? Among you four, one person''s scent has changed."
At these words, the four of them all changed expressions and stepped back.
Qin Nuo''s gaze was indifferent, "Will youe out yourself, or should I drag you out?"
ck Bear saw Qin Nuo nce at him and said in a deep voice, "Why are you looking at me? There''s nothing wrong with me!"
Qin Nuo said nothing, flipping his hand to reveal a machete, which he swung swiftly at someone.
But it wasn''t ck Bear.
It was the yer with the game name "Jackson," who had been mostly silent.
The other reacted quickly, taking a rapid step back to dodge the strike.
It let out a strangeugh, its appearance slowly changing into a horrifying face that looked like it had been yed, emitting a piercing, unpleasantugh.
"How about we y a game of hide and seek? If you can''t catch me, one of you will die randomly."
"The game starts now!"
Bang!!
The door mmed shut.
Outside, Princess Yao Yao was startled, patting the door and shouting, "Hey, why''d you close the door?"
As ck Rose and the others'' faces changed dramatically, the Face-ying Ghost''s figure slowly merged back into the darkness.
In a sh, Qin Nuo pulled out a bottle of boy''s urine and hurled it urately into the darkness.
With a bang, the foul smell of urine filled the air.
Everyone covered their noses, looking at Qin Nuo in disbelief.
What the hell! This guy carries a bottle of urine with him; what kind of bizarre move is this?
The Ghost Aura was now mixed with a strong smell of urine.
The Face-ying Ghost, drenched in urine, looked twisted and ugly.
The stench of the boy''s urine made it itch all over, extremely ufortable.
It red at Qin Nuo, who was in the open, with murderous intent, "This damned kid!"
Bang!
A dull sound came from the darkness.
The group looked over and saw a headless corpse fall to the ground, followed by a head rolling out.
It was Jackson''s head.
The expression was bewildered, clearly not having realized what happened before losing his head!
When they split up, the Face-ying Ghost had already killed Jackson, then took on his appearance to blend in, intending to pick them off one by one, but it didn''t expect to be identified by Qin Nuo.
The next second, Jackson''s body suddenly turned into a cloud of gray mist and disappeared.
ck Bear and the others weren''t surprised.
That''s the Protection Mechanism.
Jackson had already used his immunity token, and after his first death, he would revive in his room.
Jackson escaped the predicament.
But at a great cost!
Their faces simultaneously turned grim. Although they had an immunity token, no one wanted to use it here, especially with seven more days of the game left!
In the darkness, a pair of ghostly hands silently reached out.
Cobra sensed something and suddenly shouted, "ck Bear, behind you!"
ck Bear reacted quickly, turning to swing his brass-knuckled fist.
However, before he could hit, his entire arm was torn off!
With a thud, the blood-soaked arm fell to the ground.
ck Bear''s face turned pale as he stepped back, looking at his empty left arm, his face twitching violently.
"Go! Break the door and get out!"
Cobra and the others finally realized the seriousness of the situation.
The resident of 305 was far more formidable than they had imagined, and with the enemy in the dark and them in the light, the result would only be them getting killed one by one!
As they turned and ran towards the door.
The ck aura suddenly surged, and the door vanished before their eyes in an instant, plunging everyone into a deep abyss of despair...
Chapter 43: Im fishing, feeling reborn!
In the corridor.
Princess Yao Yao looked at the tightly closed door, initially at a loss, but soon she was at ease.
"Anyway, they have two lives, so it doesn''t really matter if they die."
With that, she adjusted her mini skirt, sat on the bench in the hallway, swung her legs, and continued eating her snacks.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed in the corridor. Princess Yao Yao turned her head to see a few residents from the fourth flooring down. Qin Nuo had helped them before, and after some thought, he decided toe down and check.
Liu Ze ignored Princess Yao Yao, gripped the handle of room 305, and twisted and pulled with all his might, but couldn''t open the door.
Then, he turned to Princess Yao Yao and asked, "Did he go in?"
Princess Yao Yao didn''t know who he was referring to but replied, "They all went in, but it doesn''t look too optimistic."
She then felt a scorching gaze on her and turned to see the Fat Homebody Ghost behind Little Yuan''s Mom, staring intently at her legs d in whitece stockings.Princess Yao Yao shifted ufortably and used her snacks to cover herself.
"Li... Little sister, my name is Zhang Yuan, what''s... what''s your name?" The Fat Homebody Ghost, clearly not used to interacting with people, stuttered as he spoke to such a pretty girl.
"Yao," Princess Yao Yao casually replied.
"Can I shake your hand?"
The Fat Homebody Ghost took a step forward, extending his sweaty hand, his breath hot, and his lecherous eyes fixed on her snow-white thighs.
His gaze seemed to pierce through her mini skirt!
Just as Princess Yao Yao was considering running, Little Yuan''s Mom suddenly extended two fingers and jabbed them into the Fat Homebody Ghost''s eyes.
"Behave yourself, we''re here to help."
The Fat Homebody Ghost covered his eyes, somewhat fearful of Little Yuan''s Mom, and obediently stepped back without making another sound.
At this moment, Jackson came down from upstairs.
"Weren''t you inside?" Princess Yao Yao asked in surprise.
"I got killed by that ghost, and my respawn point is in my room," Jackson said with a dark expression.
He hadn''t done anything, hadn''t even seen the enemy, and his head was already on the floor.
The worst part was using up his immunity token like this!
He was utterly frustrated!
"What about Phantom and the others..." Princess Yao Yao was taken aback.
"They''ll probably lose their heads soon too," Jackson said with a bitter smile.
This wasn''t them capturing anyone; it was like a flock of sheep entering a wolf''s den, about to be wiped out!
"Force the door open!" Liu Ze sensed something was wrong and said in a deep voice.
But no matter how he tried to break the door, it would always restore itself in seconds.
"A ghost curse," Little Yuan''s Mom''s eyes shed as she said, "Let me open it, but it''ll take some time."
"Then it''s probably toote," Jackson muttered.
Inside the room, darknesspletely engulfed the surroundings.
Cobra and the others could only huddle together tightly.
"Don''t spread out, back to back, so if it attacks anyone, the rest can immediately notice," Jiang Xiaobai said.
Though the chances were slim, there was still hope.
The few of them were on high alert, their ghostly items useless, like helpless chicks huddling together for survival in a desperate situation.
Except for Qin Nuo.
He stood there, showing no sign of tension.
"Phantom?" ck Rose looked at him in confusion.
"Ignore him, he''s already given up resisting," ck Bear said weakly. He was already missing an eye, and now a hand, his mental state was poor.
The others remained silent.
For those with weaker endurance, giving up resistance was indeed the best option.
After all, once dead, they could exit the room and respawn at the respawn point.
Only ck Rose thought otherwise.
She knew Phantom''s strength was the most unfathomable among the seven yers.
In the darkness, the Face-ying Ghost spotted the isted Qin Nuo, murderous intent surging in its eyes.
Silently, it appeared behind him, its ghostly hands merging with the darkness, reaching out.
Its ghostly hands could instantly remove a head, even before the brain realized it was dead!
The darkness obscured vision, and no one noticed the ghostly hands already beneath Qin Nuo''s neck.
Just a slight lift, and the head could be taken!
However, at the critical moment, a pair of hands like iron mps grabbed the Face-ying Ghost''s hands!
Qin Nuo slowly turned his head, grinning at the Face-ying Ghost, "Got you!"
"Can''t you tell I''m fishing?"
The Face-ying Ghost was utterly bewildered.
How did he discover it?
"With such a strong uric acid smell on you, I could find you with my eyes closed!"
The eerie voice didn''te from Qin Nuo''s mouth.
The Face-ying Ghost suddenly noticed a blood-red eye on Qin Nuo''s right arm, mocking it.
"Half-Ghost?!"
The Face-ying Ghost''s eyes filled with deep terror, and it suddenly tore off its restrained arms, turning to flee into the darkness.
"Cutting off its arms to escape, that''s ruthless."
"But hiding won''t help, my bottle of virgin boy urine ruined your scent-masking ghost aura."
"This room is now an open book to me."
As Qin Nuo spoke, he took out a machete.
Bang!!
At that moment, a dull sound echoed, and the vanished door reappeared, being violently mmed open.
Cobra and the others, not yet understanding what happened with Qin Nuo, were overjoyed, "The door''s open again, run!"
Before he could finish, the others had already rushed out the door.
ck Rose stopped at the door, turning back to look at Qin Nuo, "Hey, what are you standing there for?"
Qin Nuo ignored her and instead plunged into the darkness.
Once everyone was out, they copsed on the ground as if reborn, their tense nerves finally rxing.
Liu Ze looked at the group, frowning, "Why didn''t hee out?"
"Who?" Cobra asked, panting.
"You mean Phantom, right? He didn''te out," ck Rose said.
"That guy''s definitely gone."
"If you go in, you might even find his head!" ck Bear said, panting, with a hint of schadenfreude.
However, the moment he said this, he felt a chill all over, his hair standing on end!
Liu Ze and Little Yuan''s Mom looked at him coldly, like the hand of death gripping his throat.
A sense of doom enveloped him!
The Fat Homebody Ghost, holding a spiked club, appeared in front of ck Bear, saying menacingly, "If you say one more word, I''ll crack your skull open!"
ck Bear was dumbfounded, fear causing his body to tremble involuntarily, and he nodded instinctively.
The others dared not speak, watching this bizarre scene.
Their hearts were filled with panic and confusion.
Weren''t these the apartment residents?
What was their connection to Phantom, and why such a big reaction?
"I''m going in to find him," Liu Ze said, ncing into the room and turning to head inside.
"I''m going too," Little Yuan''s Mom said, pulling a kitchen knife from under her apron.
"If anything happens to my good brother, the guy inside will end up as minced meat!" The Fat Homebody Ghost said with a murderous aura.
However, just as they were about to step into the room, a head rolled out.
It wasn''t Qin Nuo''s; it was the Face-ying Ghost''s.
Its terrifying face was filled with fear, and white smoke rose from the severed neck.
Qin Nuo emerged, dusting off his clothes, and looked at everyone, saying, "Why are so many people blocking the door? Isn''t it stuffy?"
Chapter 44: Indoor oppression, Liu Ze blames himself!
Liu Ze looked at the head on the ground, then at Qin Nuo. Although his face showed no expression, his voice betrayed his astonishment.
"You killed it?"
Even more incredulous were Cobra and the others, their mouths agape.
The target of the main quest was dealt with just like that?
How did he manage it? It hasn''t even been two minutes since they came out!
"It''s not dead yet," Qin Nuo said.
Only then did everyone notice that the Face-ying Ghost, now just a head, was still baring its teeth, looking both fierce and terrified at Qin Nuo.
Liu Ze picked up the head and asked, "How do we deal with it?"
"Smash it with a stick!" the Fat Homebody Ghost suggested."Killing it would be hard to exin to thendlord," Little Yuan''s Mom suddenly spoke up.
Although this guy acted like a pervert, he hadn''t actually done anything to the tenants and hadn''t missed any rent payments either.
If we kill him, the oldndlord might not be pleased.
"I found something in the room. Let''s go take a look," Qin Nuo suggested, not in a hurry to deal with the Face-ying Ghost, and pointed towards the room.
Everyone was puzzled but went inside nheless.
By now, the ghost aura in the room had dissipated, and the furnishings and structure had returned to their original state.
The room was incredibly messy, with blood-stained bandages and tissues scattered on the floor, emitting an indescribable stench.
On the table, various props of different sizes were piled up, all stained with blood.
Seeing these items, ck Rose and the others winced, as if realizing something.
"Even messier than my room," the Fat Homebody Ghost quipped.
Liu Ze circled back and asked Qin Nuo, "What did you find?"
To Liu Ze, the room''s condition, though dire, was still within the realm of normalcy.
"There are some of his collectibles by the bed cab. You might want to take a look," Qin Nuo said, ncing at the bedside.
Liu Ze walked over and took out a box from the bedside cab.
Seeing the box, ck Rose furrowed her brows, stepped back, and covered Princess Yao Yao''s eyes.
Cobra and the others also looked uneasy, bracing themselves.
Liu Ze opened the box with a nk expression. Inside were not the bloody items ck Rose and the others expected, but a pile of hair clips.
All sorts of colors and styles.
They were hair clips only little girls would wear!
Considering the Face-ying Ghost''s usual perverted gaze at children, and now seeing these hair clips, Cobra and the others'' faces twitched.
ck Rose''s eyes filled with a cold chill.
Qin Nuo looked at Liu Ze and said two more words: "Wall ster."
Following Qin Nuo''s gaze, Liu Ze looked at the wall by the bed, where the ster was cracked and starting to peel.
Qin Nuo didn''t know what was inside; it was the Blood-Eyed Ghost who told him.
But it was certainly something extremely unsettling, and Qin Nuo didn''t want to uncover it, so he signaled Liu Ze.
Liu Ze walked over, grabbed a piece of wall ster, and gently pulled it away.
Inside the wall, a corner was revealed.
In the cracked concrete, a half-hand without fingers was exposed, with a child''s watch still attached to the wrist...
The room fell silent instantly.
Liu Ze didn''t continue peeling the ster.
There was no need.
The Face-ying Ghost, held by Little Yuan''s Mom, suddenly let out a piercing scream of agony.
Little Yuan''s Mom''s five fingers, gripping the skull, were like nails, deeply embedded into the skull, blood spurting out.
At any moment, it seemed like it would shatter like a rotten watermelon!
Little Yuan''s Mom once had a lovely daughter, but fate was cruel. Now, seeing so many girls around her daughter''s age fall victim to this pervert, her killing intent was the strongest.
Though her face showed no change, the terrifying ghost aura she emitted made Cobra and the others swallow nervously and back away.
"Calm down, the better choice is to hand him over to thendlord!" Liu Ze suddenly spoke.
Little Yuan''s Mom paused, stopped her fingers'' force, threw the Face-ying Ghost to the Fat Homebody Ghost, and turned to leave the room: "My child is hungry, I''m going to cook."
The Fat Homebody Ghost, equally enraged, snarled, "Killing you outright is too easy!"
The Face-ying Ghost, tormented to the point of delirium, didn''t beg for mercy but instead showed a creepy smile: "It doesn''t matter anymore."
"My life is already perfect. You have no idea how beautiful those girls'' eyes looked when they lost their light, driven mad by my torment."
"Embedding them in the wall was my art. You should appreciate it..."
Crack!!
The Fat Homebody Ghost yanked hard, and the Face-ying Ghost''s jaw split open, unable to close, rendering him speechless.
"Let''s get out of here," Liu Ze said.
The atmosphere in the room was too oppressive, and even breathing became difficult for Cobra and the others as they looked at the corner.
Everyone exited the room.
As they returned to the hallway, a voice came: "I heard you caused quite amotion on the third floor."
"You all remember the apartment rules, right?"
The oldndlord approached, leaning on his cane.
Liu Ze stepped forward and briefly exined the whole situation, then opened the door to room 305.
After listening, the oldndlord showed no expression, only squinting his eyes as he looked at the Face-ying Ghost''s head.
Facing the oldndlord''s gaze, the Face-ying Ghost finally showed a look of fear, but his mouth was already split open, unable to utter a word.
"I understand. Hand him over to me," the oldndlord said.
Liu Ze handed over the head.
The oldndlord took the Face-ying Ghost in hand and calmly said, "Let''s not bring this up again. Room 305 will not be rented out for now, and I''ll clean the room."
With that, he walked away with the head.
But from the Face-ying Ghost''s panicked and terrified expression, Qin Nuo knew that this guy''s fate would be far worse than mere obliteration.
"I should have been more resolute back then," Liu Ze said.
Back then, the tenants''ints about the Face-ying Ghost were dismissed by the oldndlord.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, including Liu Ze, the tenants turned a blind eye and let the Face-ying Ghost stay.
If they had been more decisive and firm, this pervert would have been dealt with years ago!
"At least he didn''t get away," Qin Nuo indirectlyforted Liu Ze''s self-reproach.
"I''m heading back. Knock if you need anything," Liu Ze said, turning to go upstairs without saying much more.
The Fat Homebody Ghost said a couple of words to Qin Nuo and followed him upstairs.
After the tenants left, Cobra and the other yers were no longer concerned with room 305 but focused on more important matters.
Qin Nuo had single-handedly taken down the pervert in room 305.
Which meant the main quest reward would go to him alone!
"Is there a broadcast for the instance mission?" ck Rose asked nervously.
All the yers'' eyes fell on Qin Nuo.
Just as Qin Nuo was about to speak, the System''s broadcast sounded in his mind.
But after listening, his brow furrowed slightly...
Chapter 45: Sky and earth apart, neighbors dinner party!
"Congrattions to the host forpleting the C-level instance task. You sessfully exposed the resident of room 305 and handed them over for punishment. Additional scores will be calcted after exiting the instance!"
"This isn''t a mainline task reward."
"It''s just a hidden C-level task!"
Upon hearing the game announcement, Qin Nuo frowned and fell into deep thought.
The other yers noticed his expression and felt something was off, so they couldn''t help but ask, "What''s going on?"
"That guy isn''t the mastermind killer we''re looking for, just a regr C-level instance task," Qin Nuo said.
"What?"
Cobra and the others were dumbfounded.
This isn''t the killer?All the clues they got from the residents pointed to this guy, and they even found all his criminal evidence in the wall.
Then what kind of person would it be?
"Damn it, I got killed by an instance task!" Jackson was the most frustrated.
"He''s a killer, but just a simple one."
"The instance wants us to find someone else," Qin Nuo said.
Everyone was full of questions.
Do you even hear what you''re saying?
"Damn, this mainline task is such a trap, I''m out," ck Bear waved his hand and left.
"Agreed, just do the instance tasks honestly, and when it''s over, leave. Isn''t that nice?" Jiang Xiaobai and a few others thought for a moment and followed suit.
Clearly.
Everyone''s patience had been worn out by this mainline task.
Princess Yao Yao saw Qin Nuo looking absent-minded and poked him, asking, "Are you very disappointed?"
"No, just thinking about some things."
Qin Nuo shook his head.
He was thinking, the resident of room 305 isn''t the killer.
But what role did the clues from the rooftop water tank y?
Those scratches couldn''t possibly make Qin Nuo suspect any particr resident.
ck Rose looked at Qin Nuo and said, "At least your score is the highest among the seven of us, and you''re undoubtedly the MVP of this instance."
"MVP or whatever, I''m not really interested."
"I prefer to challenge things that interest me," Qin Nuo said.
ck Rose rolled her eyes and left too.
"No wonder I''ve felt ufortable walking down this hallway these past few days, like something was watching me."
"Luckily, we caught him, otherwise..." Princess Yao Yao nced at room 305, muttering with lingering fear.
Qin actually wanted to ask, what was Princess Yao Yao''s purpose in participating in this instance?
Not to mentioning for a tour, she''s simple-minded and even a level-two yer.
Thest instance, she probably got carried by a master to an easy win.
Returning from the third floor to the fourth, a little girl stood at the staircase, and upon seeing Qin Nuo, happily ran up to him, "Little Yuan''s Mom told me you caught the bad guy, and it was big brother who did it."
"That''s amazing!"
"Everyone helped, it wasn''t just me," Qin Nuo said.
"Why don''t youe to my house for dinner tomorrow? My parents heard about it and want to thank you in person," the little girl said.
Qin Nuo thought of those two invisible ghosts.
Definitely not to be messed with, he was about to refuse when the system''s voice sounded in his mind.
"Ding, congrattions to the host for triggering a D-level instance task. Please have lunch with the residents in room 402 within 24 hours."
Qin Nuo hesitated for a moment and asked, "Sure, can it be tomorrow noon?"
It''s already past two o''clock, past lunchtime, so it had to be tomorrow.
But thinking about it, dining with ghosts, what would they eat?
Qin Nuo thought of the Horror World''s marketce, and his mouth twitched.
Forget it, just adapt to the situation.
"Of course, don''t stand me up, big brother!"
"Of course not."
The little girl happily skipped away.
Qin Nuo returned to his room.
This day finally passed peacefully.
The next day, Qin Nuo dressed up a bit, after all, it was his first formal meal at a neighbor''s, and manners were important.
As he left, he ran into Jiang Xiaobaiing up the stairs, carrying tworge buckets of water with a shoulder pole.
"What are you doing?" Qin Nuo asked.
"The resident in 506 has no water, so I''m being a good neighbor and helping out!" Jiang Xiaobai said, panting.
A good neighbor, my ass!
If it weren''t for the instance task of the resident in 506, who the hell would suffer like this?
Damn it, carrying ten buckets from the first floor to the fifth, five trips back and forth!
Completing this instance task, he could basically lie in bed until tomorrow, unable to get up.
Is it easy for me to do an instance task?
"What about you? Why are you dressed so formally, going on a date with a ghost?" Jiang Xiaobai nced at Qin Nuo''s outfit and asked.
"Also an instance task."
"Going to 402 for a meal, and it''s done."
"Not chatting, see you." Qin Nuo waved and left.
After hearing this, Jiang Xiaobai was confused for a few seconds before reacting, mming the shoulder pole on the ground.
"Damn! We''re all people, why is he eating while I''m working?!"
In front of room 402, Qin Nuo knocked on the door.
The little girl quickly opened it, smiling, "Big brother, you finally came."
"The food is ready,e in and sit."
Qin Nuo entered the room.
The room was tidy, with everything neatly arranged.
But itcked light, making the whole room appear dark and eerie.
To Qin Nuo''s surprise, the dishes on the table were all normal.
Tomato scrambled eggs, minced meat with eggnt, sweet and sour ribs were allmon dishes.
The little girl pulled out a chair and smiled, "Sit down."
"I know, big brother is different from us, so I specially made dishes that big brother can eat."
Qin Nuo was slightly taken aback and sat down.
The little girl sat across from him.
Besides that, there were two rocking chairs on either side of the table.
The rocking chairs gently swayed.
Qin Nuo couldn''t see the girl''s parents, but he knew they were watching him, making his hair stand on end.
"My parents said, thank you for bringing that bad guy to justice and protecting everyone''s safety."
"Everyone helped, it wasn''t just my credit," Qin Nuo said.
In thewless Horror World, the term "bringing to justice" sounded very awkward to Qin Nuo.
"Big brother, try my cooking, see how it is," the little girl looked at Qin Nuo expectantly.
Qin Nuo picked up his chopsticks and tasted a bit of the tomato scrambled eggs.
It had sugar in it.
Not Qin Nuo''s preferred taste, as he liked it salty.
"Not bad, it tastes like what I had when I was a kid," Qin Nuo said perfunctorily.
Getting the answer she wanted, the little girl was very happy and took a bite herself.
Hiss.
Qin Nuo nced over and suddenly noticed the two halves of the table were decaying at a visible speed, turning into clusters of wood powder falling to the ground.
The little girl didn''t mind these changes and said to Qin Nuo, "My parents said, don''t be restrained, treat this as your home, take what you like to eat."
Qin Nuo''s mouth twitched.
How the hell am I supposed to treat this as my home?
He suddenly regretteding as a guest.
Eating a meal felt like being on trial.
The Blood-Eyed Ghost suddenly spoke too, "Can we leave? I''m very ufortable."
Chapter 46: Horror Diary, consistent tone!
"What''s making you ufortable?" Qin Nuo asked.
"Those two ghosts have sensed my presence and are hostile towards me," the Blood-Eyed Ghost replied in a deep voice.
As Qin Nuo pondered, a little girl suddenly spoke up, "Big brother, it seems like there''s something inside you. My mom and dad asked if they should help you get it out and squash it?"
Qin Nuo''s expression changed slightly, and he said, "It''s my friend. Please tell your parents there''s no need."
"Oh." The little girl nodded obediently.
After a seemingly endless dinner, Qin Nuo finally left the room, feeling relieved.
The Blood-Eyed Ghost was also ufortable; Qin Nuo could feel his right hand tense the entire time.
"Don''t go into that room again. The way those two ghosts looked at me was like they were eyeing prey!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost said in a deep voice.
"Can''t you take them on?""Do you think a rat can beat a cat?"
"Not even close!" The Blood-Eyed Ghost was a bit resentful, feeling dragged into such a dangerous ce just for a meal.
Qin Nuo remained silent.
"Congrattions to the Host forpleting the D-level instance mission. Additional scores will be calcted upon exiting the instance!"
"Ding, congrattions to the Host for acquiring a main quest¡ªRoom 401 seems to hold some clues. Why not take a look? There might be unexpected rewards!"
Room 401?
Qin Nuo suddenly realized.
Among the residents on the fourth floor, from rooms one to six, it seemed only room 401 was left, and he had never seen anyone there.
Because he had never seen the door open.
Qin Nuo had once thought it was a storage room, not rented out.
After pondering for a moment, Qin Nuo changed direction and stood in front of room 401, gently knocking on the door.
No response. Qin Nuo knocked again, and the door opened on its own.
It wasn''t locked.
The creaking sound of the door echoed in the deathly silent room.
Inside, there was almost nothing, the space was small, with the living room and bedroombined, trash everywhere, and sour, yellowed clothes piled on the bed.
A short-haired girl, around 18 years old, sat on the floor, wearing a torn and dirty school uniform.
"Hello?" Qin Nuo called out.
The girl turned around, not with a terrifying ghost face, but rather a pretty appearance with a sunny beauty.
However,
Her hair was messy, drool ran down her mouth, and she sucked her fingers. Upon seeing Qin Nuo, she wasn''t scared but giggled foolishly.
"An idiot," Qin Nuo realized.
He hadn''t expected this.
How could the oldndlord allow a mentally challenged girl to live in a room?
Granddaughter?
Qin Nuo didn''t dwell on it. He was curious about the clue pointing to room 401, which must be hiding something.
Qin Nuo started searching around, while the girl on the floor just watched him walk back and forth with a silly smile.
Finally, in a drawer, Qin Nuo found a diary.
The diary belonged to the girl, named Xia Xinlu. She seemed to have been a vibrant university student, with a photo attached.
In the photo, Xia Xinlu waspletely different from now, very clean, with a sweet smile, clearly normal.
Reading someone else''s diary is hical, so Qin Nuo gestured to Xia Xinlu on the floor. She just kept smiling foolishly, which he took as consent.
He opened the diary.
The early entries were about mundane things like ate period, a crush on a senior, participating in a speech contest... just normal diary entries.
Later, the girl left school for an internship and rented this Bloodstained Apartment.
The early entries were fine, butter the tone changed drastically.
"June 7th, saw on the news a virus is spreading, try to go out less, remember to wear a mask when going out, be brave Lulu, don''t fear difficulties!"
"June 8th, heard there''s a patient in our apartment too, don''t know if it''s true, but it''s causing panic, and thendlord won''t let anyone leave the apartment, afraid of spreading it to more people."
"June 11th, they are demons! Devils, why are they doing this? I want to call the police!"
Qin Nuo frowned as he read. What happened that day? What did Xia Xinlu see?
Qin Nuo turned to the next page, eager to find out.
But the next page wasn''t a diary entry.
Instead, it was filled with a whole page of red "I''m sorry," densely packed, with what seemed to be blood or red ink, making his scalp tingle.
Flipping through the rest, there were no more entries.
This clue held a lot of information and seemed quite eerie.
Had something major happened in the Bloodstained Apartment before?
There was a noise at the door.
It was the little girl from room 402, pushing the door open with some food in her hands.
She was surprised to see Qin Nuo, "Oh, big brother, why are you here?"
Qin Nuo discreetly hid the diary in his clothes and turned to say, "I saw room 401''s door open, so I came in to take a look."
"Who is this girl?" Qin Nuo asked.
"Her name is Xia Xinlu. She used to live here, but after her parents died in a car ident, she became like this, and no one takes care of her."
"I felt sorry for her, so I''ve been taking care of her," the little girl said.
"I see." Qin Nuo nodded, then said, "I won''t disturb you then, carry on with what you were doing."
With that, Qin Nuo put his hands in his pockets and walked towards the door.
"Wait a minute," the little girl suddenly called out to Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo paused and turned to ask, "What''s up?"
"Big brother, I don''t know your name yet."
"Just call me Brother Nuo."
"Okay, Brother Nuo, my name is Liu Meng, but you can call me Little Meng," Liu Meng said with a smile.
After leaving room 401, Qin Nuo returned to his room, took out Xia Xinlu''s diary, and continued to study it, hoping to find more useful clues.
And indeed, after a night''s effort, Qin Nuo found a crucial clue.
From the previous diary entries, Qin Nuo could confirm that Xia Xinlu lived alone.
Whether during university or her internship.
She was an orphan.
But Liu Meng told him that Xia Xinlu''s parents died in a car ident!
The diary was written for herself, Xia Xinlu wouldn''t lie, so the liar could only be Liu Meng.
Why would Liu Meng lie to him?
Or was she covering something up?
Without a doubt, that girl from room 402 was the biggest suspect so far.
But without solid evidence, he couldn''t jump to conclusions.
However, in Qin Nuo''s mind, he was already wary of that girl.
The next day was the fifth day of the game.
There were five days left until the instance ended.
The yers were all focused on the instance tasks, hoping to get a high score when exiting the instance.
Qin Nuo had alreadypleted five instance tasks and wasn''t interested in continuing with them. Instead, he focused on investigating the main quest.
In the first-floor lobby.
Qin Nuo and the oldndlord were ying chess.
However, one was bored, and the other was deep in thought,pletely different vibes.
"Checkmate! Old man, you let me win!"
After the oldndlord pondered for a full ten minutes, he finally made thest move.
Qin Nuo also made the final move without hesitation, ending the long chess game.
But this time, losing the game, the oldndlord wasn''t angry or upset. Instead, he stroked his beard and showed a smug smile.
"Even though I lost, this time you only beat me by a small margin!"
Qin Nuoughed along, "Yes, as they say, after three days, one must look at a person with new eyes."
"Last time, I had you down to just your general, and now you still have so many pieces left. I almost lost this time."
"Old man, your chess skills have improved by leaps and bounds!" Qin Nuo said with a look of admiration.
These words made the oldndlord even more pleased, his beard almost flying up.
In reality, Qin Nuo could have won ten moves ago if he wanted to.
And he could still have defeated the oldndlordpletely, making him question life.
But,
In life, one must have high emotional intelligence.
Was this game really about chess?
No!
It was about human rtionships.
"Old man, can I ask you something?" Seeing that the time was right, Qin Nuo suddenly said.
"I knew you had ulterior motives for suddenly ying chess with me."
"But I''m in a good mood, so go ahead," the oldndlord said, picking up his old pipe.
"Do you know the girl in room 401?"
"Yes, she''s a pitiful child. A few years ago, her parents died in a car ident, and she became like this, and that girl from room 402 has been taking care of her since."
"Why do you ask?" the old man asked casually, taking a puff from his pipe.
Qin Nuo''s expression turned a bit serious.
The oldndlord''s tone was the same as Liu Meng''s!
Could it be that Liu Meng didn''t lie?
Chapter 47: Hunting mode, erase memory!
The two people spoke in unison, leaving Qin Nuo a bit bewildered.
All of Qin Nuo''s previous spections were shattered.
The oldndlord exhaled a puff of smoke, seeing Qin Nuo remain silent, he thought he was pondering over the chess game.
He flicked the ash off his cigarette, set the pipe aside, and said with a smile, "How about another game?"
"This time, I''m full of confidence!"
"Let''s y next time, my stomach hurts a bit, I''ll head back first."
With that, Qin Nuo turned and ran off.
The oldndlord chuckled, picked up his pipe, feeling quite smug, "Scared before even starting, these young folks..."
Reaching the fourth-floor corridor, Qin Nuo hesitated for a moment and knocked on the door of room 403."What''s the matter, child?" Little Yuan''s Mom opened the door, her cold expression softened a bit upon seeing Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo asked her the same question he had asked thendlord.
Afterward, he knocked on the doors of rooms 405 and 406.
He received the same answers from the Fat Homebody Ghost and Liu Ze.
Returning to his room, Qin Nuo sat on the bed, crossed his hands, and fell into deep thought.
All the answers were identical!
Could it be like that saying on the inte, who would write their true thoughts in a diary, that''s just foolish and lowly behavior?
While pondering, there was a sudden knock on the door.
Qin Nuo got up to open it, and it was Princess Yao Yao from the third floor.
Princess Yao Yao looked at Qin Nuo, grinning and revealing her cute canine teeth, holding a pile of snacks in her arms.
"Judging by your stance, you have something to ask of me and n to bribe me with snacks?" Qin Nuo voiced his guess.
"No."
"I ran out of money, spent it all on food, and after calcting carefully, I realized I might not be able to pay rent for the next five days. So I wanted to ask if I could sell these snacks to you?" Princess Yao Yao asked.
Qin Nuo rolled his eyes, "I don''t eat junk food."
"Come on, be kind, you''vepleted so many instance tasks, you must have a lot of Ghost Currency, it''s not a losing deal." Princess Yao Yao pleaded.
Qin Nuo had umted quite a bit of Ghost Currency, but he wasn''t like the Fat Homebody Ghost next door, not falling for the cute act.
If this girl could be his tool, he might consider it, but he didn''t need it now.
Qin Nuo generally didn''t do losing deals.
"My neighbor should be more than happy to help you." Qin Nuo pointed to room 405.
Princess Yao Yao knew he was referring to the Fat Homebody Ghost, shivered, and shrank her neck, "He''ll eat me alive."
"No way, my buddy is the kindest to beauties, he''d go through fire and water for them." Qin Nuoughed.
"I''ll go ask Sister Rose instead." Princess Yao Yao pouted, ready to leave with her snacks.
But just as she turned around, a game announcement suddenly echoed in her mind.
Besides her, Qin Nuo also heard the voice in his mind.
"Attention all yers, half of the game time has passed, the remaining time will switch to a new game mode."
"The game mode will change to a battle royale mode, the main quest NPCs will actively hunt yers."
"Before being hunted, yers can identify the killer, but if they guess wrong, they will die instantly! Guess correctly, and the instance will bepleted, ending the game early."
"Note: Under the protection mechanism, yers can choose to exit the instance after being hunted once, making this instance void."
"Being hunted a second time will result in real-world death!"
Battle royale mode?
NPCs hunting yers?!
Qin Nuo and Princess Yao Yao were stunned.
Can the game be yed like this?
"What do we do? It sounds terrifying." Princess Yao Yao said fearfully.
"For you, clinging to someone strong is your only hope of survival." Qin Nuo said to Princess Yao Yao.
"Can I cling to you?"
"Don''t even think about it."
Ignoring Princess Yao Yao''s gaze, Qin Nuo analyzed, "Actually, there''s no need to panic, there are still five days left in the game. If I were the killer, I wouldn''t kill all the yers in one day, that would be too boring."
"And don''t forget, we all have two lives. If the killer makes a move, we''ll definitely know who it is, and after reviving, we can identify them, ending the game."
Princess Yao Yao suddenly realized, "Right, why didn''t I think of that?"
Qin Nuo smiled slightly, "So, this so-called battle royale mode is actually more advantageous for us yers!"
"Then whoever gets killed first would be the first to know who the killer is?" Princess Yao Yao blinked.
Does that mean they have topete to be killed by the killer first?
"Maybe." Qin Nuo didn''t say much.
The game instance isn''t stupid.
How could they not know such a simple loophole?
He said it to make Princess Yao Yao be the nail that sticks out, to act as a tool.
Bang!!
Suddenly, a loud noise came from downstairs, Qin Nuo and Princess Yao Yao exchanged a nce and immediately rushed down.
The sound came from the second floor, and when Qin Nuo and Princess Yao Yao arrived, the other yers had also gathered.
The corridor was filled with dust.
At the end of the corridory a body.
It was ck Bear''s.
His head had rolled to the corner of the wall...
Everyone was stunned.
The battle royale mode had started, and within two minutes, a yer was already hunted!
Everyone involuntarily held their breath.
Qin Nuo was the first to react, suddenly asking, "Which room was ck Bear in?"
Everyone was initially stunned, then quickly realized.
Right!
ck Bear was killed, so he must have revived in his room.
That guy must already know who the killer is!
"Room 206!" Cobra said, taking the lead and running to the end of the corridor.
The others quickly followed.
When they reached room 202, sure enough, ck Bear was sitting on the bed, looking dazed as if he had just rebooted.
Then, remembering something, he jumped up in anger, "Damn! I got taken out just like that?!"
Cobra walked over, grabbed ck Bear''s shoulders, and asked, "Who is the killer?"
"You must have seen its appearance, right?"
"I saw! I saw its appearance, it was..."
ck Bear nodded, opened his mouth, and the name was about toe out, "It was... it was, right, who was it?"
Everyone was speechless.
Dude, are you seriously having amnesia at such a critical moment?
ck Bear held his head, trying hard to recall, but just couldn''t remember who it was.
Moreover, the more he tried, the more his head hurt.
"Ah, I definitely know who it is, but why can''t I remember?" ck Bear said, pained.
Everyone was more anxious than he was, continuously pressing him for answers.
Qin Nuo understood something and stepped forward to stop the questioning crowd.
"There''s no need to ask."
"He can''t possibly remember."
"You''re not him, how can you be so sure?" Jackson frowned.
"Think about it, if you can think of this loophole, wouldn''t the System?"
"The moment he was killed, part of his memory was likely erased by the System."
Qin Nuo''s words left everyone silent.
Qin Nuo shook his head slightly.
"Indeed, this battle royale mode isn''t going to let you clear it so easily..."
Chapter 48: Qin Nuos strategy, the final gamble!
"Damn it, if I quit the instance now, wouldn''t all my efforts over the past five days be wasted?" Jiang Xiaobai cursed unwillingly.
"This instance is really a trap," Cobra shook his head.
Logically, at their level, the instance they entered shouldn''t be this difficult.
"The instance rewards are secondary; if we don''tplete this instance, the bonus from the employer will be gone too," ck Bear said, troubled.
Among the seven of them, a few, like Qin Nuo, were actually substitutes for others.
Some wealthy individuals, discovering curses on themselves and fearing death in the instance, hired professional yers to enter on their behalf.
These substitute yers earned quite a bit.
Not only could they receive rewards afterpleting the instance, but they also got paid by the employer.
Under the protection mechanism, the risks were greatly reduced.Therefore, this industry was very popr at the time!
Of course, if the instance wasn''tpleted, the curse remained on the original owner, and the payment was lost, significantly reducing their credibility in the industry.
ck Bear, Cobra, and Jackson were all hired yers.
"There''s a way. We cany out all the clues we''ve gathered and narrow down the most suspicious residents," ck Rose suggested.
"And then have those with immunity tokens identify them," she added.
Jiang Xiaobai nced at her, "Besides us, there are twenty-three residents in this building. How many can you identify?"
"Moreover, we''ve been focused on the main instance tasks these past few days and haven''t gathered any clues for the side quests."
Cobra suddenly stood up and said, "You guys y on; for the next five days, I''ll choose to hide in my room. This way, my chances of surviving until the end of the game are at least higher."
"Reasonable," Jiang Xiaobai agreed with Cobra''s idea.
Now, they only hoped to survive until the end of the game andplete this instance.
As for finding the killer...
That was already a distant hope!
"You guys still have immunity tokens, but I''ve already died once. If I''m hunted again, I''ll really be dead!" ck Bear said with a dark expression.
Cobra and Jiang Xiaobai ignored him and turned to leave.
When disaster strikes, everyone looks out for themselves.
Jackson was also anxious, having been killed once as well.
"If the game instance fails, at least I can participate again. If I lose my life, it''s really gone."
"I''m out. See you all if fate allows!"
Jackson pulled up the game panel and confirmed his exit from the instance.
A beam of light enveloped him, and he disappeared in an instant.
"yer ''Jackson'' exited the game early, instancepletion failed!"
ck Bear kicked the cab hard in frustration, "Damn it, I''m out too!"
With that, he also clicked to exit.
"yer ''ck Bear'' exited the game early, instancepletion failed!"
In the room, only Qin Nuo and the two women remained.
ck Rose looked at Qin Nuo, "What do you n to do?"
"At least I still have an immunity token, so I can take some risks."
Qin Nuo put his hands in his pockets, "People need to have some hope. The game isn''t over, and I''m not dead, so anything is possible."
With that, Qin Nuo also left.
Princess Yao Yao looked at ck Rose and said pitifully, "Sister Rose, can I stay with you for the next few days?"
ck Rose frowned slightly, initially wanting to refuse, but then thought that having someone around mighte in handy.
She smiled slightly, "Sure."
Meanwhile, Qin Nuo returned to Room 404.
After closing the door, he took out a notebook from under the drawer and wrote down the names of four residents.
"Liu Meng, Xia Xinlu, and the oldndlord."
"What are you doing?" Blood-Eyed Ghost asked.
"This is my final gamble," Qin Nuo said, putting down the pen.
"My only advantage is having two substitute scarecrows, giving me two more lives than the other yers."
"In the battle royale mode, there''s a detailed rule: yers can identify the killer in advance. Once identified, if the killer makes a move against you, you win."
"I have four lives and can identify three ghosts."
"These three are currently my top suspects."
Blood-Eyed Ghost was still a bit confused, "And then?"
Qin Nuo smiled slightly, "For example, I now identify the most suspicious Chen Meng, then cross her name off the notebook."
"Later, I''ll be erased, losing the memory of seeing the killer. If I revive, then Chen Meng is cleared of suspicion, and when I return to the room and see this notebook, I''ll know Chen Meng can be ruled out."
"Then, I can verify the next suspect!"
Qin Nuo exined.
This strategy couldpletely bypass the memory-erasing rule of the game.
Blood-Eyed Ghost was somewhat surprised.
This kid''s mind worked quite well.
"Don''t forget, Liu Meng''s parents are also suspects. How can you be sure the killer is among them?"
"This apartment has 23 residents."
Qin Nuo shrugged, "If none of them are, then I''ll just hide until the game ends like those guys."
"If I use up all three lives, I''ll exit the game."
"At worst, I won''t take the reward and will help my sister participate in another instance."
He had realized it.
This instance was too difficult, not at all suitable for their level.
There must be some special reason that increased the difficulty of the instance, leading to this battle royale mode!
It had to be said, this was indeed quite a trap!
"You really n to take a gamble," Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
"Fortune favors the bold. If you don''t fight, you''re waiting for death. I''ve never been one to admit defeat in games!"
Qin Nuo said, opening the door to Liu Ze''s room.
"What''s up?" Liu Ze still had that cold expression.
"I''ve run into some trouble and need your help, Brother Liu."
Liu Ze naturally agreed.
With Liu Ze''s help, Qin Nuo also knocked on the doors of Fat Homebody Ghost and Little Yuan''s Mom, and they agreed to help as well.
Last time with the Face-ying Ghost, they couldn''t help much and owed him a favor. This time, when Qin Nuo asked for help, they agreed without hesitation.
Qin Nuo felt grateful.
Connections are truly important!
With the help of the three residents on the fourth floor, Qin Nuo continued his investigation into the main task over the next two days.
He wasn''t afraid of being hunted by the killer.
He had four lives, hoping it woulde for him!
The yers hiding in their rooms, like Cobra, were dumbfounded seeing Qin Nuo still swaggering around the apartment.
Bro, it''s a battle royale.
Can you not be so arrogant?
From the oldndlord, he won two more chess games, redeemed the items pawned by two households, andpleted two D-level instance tasks.
At the same time, he obtained a main task clue¡ª"Thendlord''s 2011 resident information sheet seems to hide something. Why not take a look? You might discover something!"
2011.
That was the resident information sheet from ten years ago!
Qin Nuo hesitated for a moment, then smiled at the oldndlord, "Old man, could you help me with one more thing?"
"You''ve taken two deposits, and you''re still not satisfied?"
The oldndlord''s face darkened again.
Losing two games in a row without a single win had shattered the confidence he had regained.
Two chess games, one clue gained.
But the goodwill was lost!
Chapter 49: Instant kill, resident information!
"Old man, can you do me a favor?"
"Even though you lost the game again, there''s no doubt your skills have improved. Having a strong opponent to practice with is invaluable."
Qin Nuo said tactfully.
The oldndlord thought there was some truth to it and said, "Alright, what do you need?"
"Do you have the tenant information from ten years ago, back in 2011?"
"What do you need that for?"
Qin Nuo didn''t answer.
The oldndlord pondered for a moment and said, "I do keep the tenant information every year."
"But ten years ago... never mind,e by tomorrow. I''ll look for it tonight.""Thank you, old man."
Qin Nuo stood up to express his gratitude. Seeing the old man wave him off, eager to review the game, he wisely took his leave.
As he reached the fourth floor, he suddenly heard a noise from upstairs, like something heavy hitting the ground.
While Qin Nuo was still puzzled, the game announcement sounded in his mind: "yer ''Cobra'' has been hunted by the killer!"
Qin Nuo was startled, quickly reacting and rushing up to the fourth floor.
In the corridor, Cobra''s body was already lying on the ground, his head severed and rolled to the side.
"How did it move so fast?"
Qin Nuo frowned, walking over to check on Cobra.
Cobra turned into a cloud of gray mist and disappeared, clearly having respawned.
"Is it hunting yers randomly, or is there some pattern?" Qin Nuo pondered.
"Let''s head back first."
Qin Nuo stood up, and as he turned, a blood eye appeared on the back of his right hand. The Blood-Eyed Ghost said in a deep voice, "It''s still here!"
Just as the words were spoken, Qin Nuo felt a strong killing intent enveloping the corridor.
The walls began to decay at a visible speed.
Qin Nuo''s expression changed, swiftly drawing out a machete, as a shadow appeared out of nowhere in front of him.
Before the Blood-Eyed Ghost could act, Qin Nuo''s head was already flying off.
Blood sttered on the walls, a vivid crimson!
...
"Sister Rose, I''ve got enough snacks tost us five days. We shouldn''t go out, and we''ll definitely make it to the end of the game."
Princess Yao Yao sat on the bed, lightly tapping her snacks, calcting her n, as she spoke to ck Rose.
"You''re so... simple and cute."
ck Rose said with a forced smile, tying up her hair as she walked into the bathroom, "I''ll take a shower first, you stay on the bed."
"Okay." Princess Yao Yao nodded obediently.
But at that moment, both of them heard the announcement in their minds that yer Cobra had been hunted.
Less than two minutester, the announcement that yer Phantom had been hunted sounded!
"Two yers killed in a row!"
Princess Yao Yao and ck Rose were stunned.
"Oh no, Phantom got killed too, doesn''t he have one life left?" Princess Yao Yao said, covering her mouth.
ck Rose furrowed her brows.
Finally, she shook her head, "Those two are pretty much going to end up like ck Bear and the others, exiting the instance."
Phantom''s few words had given ck Rose a glimmer of hope for a turnaround.
But now it seemed that in the face of the absolute difficulty of the horror game, human intelligence was useless.
Inside room 404.
Qin Nuo appeared out of thin air, sitting on the bed.
After a few seconds of mental nkness, he finally regained consciousness.
"Did I just get killed like that?"
Qin Nuo was bewildered.
Even without extracting memories, he didn''t know who the killer was that attacked him.
In almost the blink of an eye, his head was gone!
He didn''t even see the face!
"Did you see it, brother?"
The Blood-Eyed Ghost was also speechless, "I hadn''t even made a move, and you were already gone."
"Ridiculously strong!"
Qin Nuo sighed, standing up and heading to the desk.
He saw the three names on the notebook, with one crossed out.
"Last life, I identified Liu Meng, but the game is still ongoing, which means Liu Meng is cleared of suspicion."
The most suspicious one was ruled out.
"The second one is Xia Xinlu."
As Qin Nuo crossed out the name, he also entered Xia Xinlu''s name in the instance interface.
Xia Xinlu.
Although this girl''s neurotic behavior didn''t seem fake, there was still a possibility of suspicion.
People have two sides.
A lunatic can have dual personalities.
Who knows if beneath a seemingly harmless exterior lies the personality of a killer?
Of course, this could also be Qin Nuo''s imagination from reading too many novels.
"yer ''Cobra'' has exited the game early, instancepletion failed!"
The game announcement sounded again, but Qin Nuo''s expression remained unchanged, as this was expected.
"Still, having four lives is impressive."
Qin Nuo mused, taking out a life-saving straw doll from the toolbar, palm-sized, tied with straw, with two ck bean-like eyes, exuding a strong curse aura.
"Use the life-saving straw doll!"
Qin Nuo whispered.
The next second, the straw doll moved on its own, climbing onto Qin Nuo''s hand, burrowing into his palm, and disappearing.
Qin Nuo looked at his palm, a hint of surprise on his face, "Is that how it works?"
Feeling no difort, Qin Nuo chose to rest instead of going out.
Time was precious for Qin Nuo too.
If he got hunted three times in one day due to recklessness, he''d have nowhere to cry.
On the seventh day at noon, Qin Nuo left the room.
The oldndlord should have results by now.
At the front desk in the lobby, the old man was unusually not ying chess but lying on a lounge chair, humming a tune.
"Old man, did you find it?" Qin Nuo asked directly.
The old man tossed a yellowed, worn information book into Qin Nuo''s hands.
"Return it by this time tomorrow at thetest."
"No problem."
Qin Nuo went to the vending machine, bought some food and drinks, returned to his room, and opened the tenant information book, confirming it was indeed from 2011.
As he flipped through the pages, Qin Nuo gathered a lot of tenant identity information.
At that time, Xiao Yuan''s family of three, no... urately speaking, a family of four, was still in room 301, with Little Yuan''s Mom named Gao Xinran.
The Fat Homebody Ghost also lived in 405, named Hai Wuming, a recent graduate and unemployed.
Liu Ze from 406 was a construction worker doing manualbor.
Liu Meng''s family from 302 had parents who were ordinary office workers, and Liu Meng was in high school at the time.
These were the tenant''s information.
It also recorded some matters outside of the tenants.
Back then, this area was inspected by the construction engineering quality supervision department.
Deemed unqualified, it was to be forcibly demolished, and the Bloodstained Apartment was among the unqualified, but the oldndlord and the tenants used some means to muddle through.
Later, in June, a virus outbreak urred in the city, only transmittable through blood, with a mortality rate of 20% among the infected.
"This should be the virus mentioned in Xia Xinlu''s diary." Qin Nuo murmured, continuing to read.
Later, there was a self-narration by the oldndlord.
"By ident, we discovered two tenants in the apartment also infected with this virus, exhibiting identical symptoms."
"I sealed off the entire apartment, intending to hand over the infected to the authorities, but the other tenants stopped me, leading to a heated argument. Someone proposed a bold idea, a terrifying idea..."
"For various reasons, I was persuaded to let them proceed..."
"Butter, we found that the girl was missing, and everyone searched every corner of the apartment until we heard a dull thud from outside the building..."
Qin Nuo took a deep breath and turned to thest page.
There was no more self-narration from the oldndlord.
Instead, there were the names of the infected.
Seeing the names, Qin Nuo held his breath.
Chapter 50: Just on the verge of coming out, its really frustrating!
Qin Nuo stared at the two names above, lost in thought.
Could it be them?
"It must be them!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost asserted confidently.
"They''re just infected, not killers."
Qin Nuo shook his head.
"The game said the killer murdered..."
Halfway through his sentence, Qin Nuo suddenly stopped.
Then, as if he had discovered something, his eyes lit up.
"Keep talking, you know stopping halfway can kill a ghost with suspense, right?" the Blood-Eyed Ghost was exasperated."I suddenly have a theory that could exin why thendlord, Little Yuan''s Mom, and the others sound exactly like Liu Meng."
"Why?"
"Not telling you, I''ll verify it myself."
"¡"
Qin Nuo''s words drove the Blood-Eyed Ghost crazy.
"Return the tenant book to thendlord first."
The tenant information book was no longer useful; Qin Nuo had already obtained the information he needed.
He felt the answer was within reach.
The first clue, the rooftop water tank, wasn''t meant to point to any suspicious tenant.
It was just to convey an important message about the killer to Qin Nuo.
"I''m dizzy, you y by yourself." The Blood-Eyed Ghost rolled its eyes and stopped talking.
Qin Nuo took the book and headed out. At the stairway, he bumped into Jiang Xiaobai.
Jiang Xiaobai was carrying dry food and water, clearly having holed up in his room until he couldn''t stand it anymore and came out for supplies.
"You... why haven''t you exited the instance yet?" Jiang Xiaobai was surprised to see Qin Nuo.
"Why should I exit the instance?"
"You lost your immunity token. If you''re hunted again, you''ll really die. Even Cobra ran away!" Jiang Xiaobai said.
"No need, I''m super brave."
"A worthless life, indifferent to life and death, fight if you dare!" Qin Nuo left these words and went downstairs.
Jiang Xiaobai blinked, muttering, "Died once, and now he''s lost it?"
Back in the lobby, Qin Nuo returned the tenant information book to the oldndlord.
The oldndlord ced the book aside, set up the chess pieces, and squeezed out a stiff smile at Qin Nuo, "Care for a game?"
Qin Nuo didn''t refuse, sat down, nced at the tenant information book, and casually asked, "Old man, how long has it been since youst looked at that book?"
"I nced at it yesterday, why?" the oldndlord said absentmindedly while moving a chess piece.
"Did you look at thest few pages of the book?" Qin Nuo asked, looking into the oldndlord''s eyes.
"No, aren''t thest few pages nk?" the oldndlord replied, looking up.
"Oh, maybe I remembered wrong."
"Young man, focus on the game. Talking about other things absentmindedly will only make your chess skills decline."
"The old man makes a valid point."
After a long game, it finally ended.
Qin Nuo lost.
The oldndlord won.
The oldndlord was also surprised, looking at the remaining pieces on the board, "I won?"
"Indeed, the old man''s chess skills are now on par with mine. In just a few days, truly a sharp de that hasn''t dulled!" Qin Nuoughed along.
These words made the oldndlord beam with joy, stroking his beard andughing heartily.
"Angel''s Eye: You gained +50 favorability from the apartmentndlord, +90 Ghost Power!"
"Old man, let''s stop here for today, I have to go."
Returning from the lobby to room 404, Qin Nuo sat at the desk and took out the notebook.
"Tonight, I''ll be hunted," Qin Nuo said.
"Why?" the Blood-Eyed Ghost asked.
"That guy has started to focus on me."
The Blood-Eyed Ghost knew he was referring to the killer, "Did you see it?"
"No, just a guess."
"¡"
Qin Nuo smiled slightly, "But the guess won''t be wrong, because I''m getting closer to the truth, and it''s panicking."
"And, Xia Xinlu has already been cleared of suspicion."
Unfortunately, once the target is confirmed, it can''t be changed.
Qin Nuo didn''t mind, because tonight he could use Xia Xinlu to confirm his theory once again.
Qin Nuo thought for a moment and crossed out the third suspect, the oldndlord.
This one was also excluded.
Night fell quickly.
Qin Nuoy on the bed, closing his eyes as if asleep.
The window was open, and the curtains swayed in the night breeze, rustling softly.
A shadow slowly appeared outside the window, staring at Qin Nuo on the bed.
Then, it passed through the window, slowly raising a hand like a knife, stabbing fiercely into Qin Nuo''s chest.
Qin Nuo''s eyes snapped open, blood staining the sheets.
In his final moments, Qin Nuo''s hand grasped the shadow, but ultimately it fell powerlessly, life slipping away.
The shadow nced at Qin Nuo and disappeared into the darkness.
However, two minutester.
The flesh on Qin Nuo''s arm split open, and a palm-sized straw man fell to the ground.
It sparked and eventually turned to ashes.
At the same moment, Qin Nuo''s eyes snapped open, and he sat up.
"Did you see who it was?" he asked.
The Blood-Eyed Ghost was particrly excited, "You might be shocked, it was that fat homebody ghost, yes, the guy next door who looks like a pig!"
Surprisingly, Qin Nuo remained calm.
The Blood-Eyed Ghost asked curiously, "Why aren''t you surprised?"
"I suspected it might be him."
The Blood-Eyed Ghost was speechless.
It''s like hearing a hrious joke and eagerly sharing it with a friend, only for them to say they''ve heard it before without changing their expression.
It''s frustrating!
"Then what are you waiting for, point him out next, and the game will be over!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
"If I point him out, I''ll fall into the trap and use up thest straw man."
Qin Nuo''s words left the Blood-Eyed Ghost baffled again.
It suddenly felt like it was always on the floor, while Qin Nuo was always in the stratosphere!
"Do you think the Fat Homebody Ghost was the shadow that attackedst time?" Qin Nuo asked.
This question made the Blood-Eyed Ghost suddenly realize.
"Yeah, this time it was much weaker."
Last time, the shadow didn''t even give the Blood-Eyed Ghost and Qin Nuo a chance to react before they were killed!
Clearly not the same ghost!
The Blood-Eyed Ghost suddenly had an epiphany, as if it had uncovered the whole truth, and said excitedly, "So, the killer isn''t just one ghost, but many."
"This apartment, all the tenants, are killers, right, right?!"
The Blood-Eyed Ghost was ecstatic.
Revealing the truth in one breath felt so damn nice!!
"Wrong, it''s one ghost."
"¡"
The Blood-Eyed Ghost fell into a mysterious silence.
After a long moment, it said, "This brain-dead instance game, you y it yourself!"
Qin Nuo smiled helplessly, "The killer deliberately let you see the Fat Homebody Ghost."
"It knows I have a ghost inside me, and it knows I have more than two lives."
"So, it let the Fat Homebody Ghost try to kill me, deliberately letting you see, so naturally, my next target would be the Fat Homebody Ghost."
"Once I''ve used up all the straw men, I''ll have no chips left."
"This game, the winner will be it."
The Blood-Eyed Ghost felt exhausted.
Qin Nuo was in the stratosphere.
The killer was also in the stratosphere.
Only it was at the bottom.
Its intelligence was being thoroughly manipted...
Chapter 51: Only three left, final duel!
"yer ''Phantom'' has been hunted by the killer!"
Late at night, the yers were still awake when they heard the game''s announcement.
With a tter, the water cup in her hand fell to the ground, and Princess Yao Yao''s delicate face was filled with shock.
"Sister Rose, did you hear that? Phantom hasn''t exited the game yet!"
"This is the second time he''s been hunted, doesn''t that mean he''s..."
"Truly dead."
ck Rose shook her head slightly, murmuring, "What a madman, risking his life for a main quest."
Princess Yao Yao blinked, feeling a bit downcast, "Sigh, I had some feelings for him, what a pity..."
The next day marked the eighth day of the game.Inside the apartment, without the movement of yers, it felt incredibly deste.
The empty corridors were dim and eerie.
At noon, the game''s announcement sounded again.
"yer ''Jiang Xiaobai'' has been hunted by the killer!"
Less than two minutes after Jiang Xiaobai was hunted, the game announcement sounded again.
"yer Jiang Xiaobai has exited the game early, instancepletion failed!"
"Jiang Xiaobai has also exited the game."
Princess Yao Yao tapped her finger and said, "So that leaves just you and me, Sister Rose."
"The killer''s next target is us."
ck Rose''s face was icy as she pondered for a moment, then took out a skull hairpin and ced it in her hair.
At the same time, she took out arge-headed ghost doll and hung it on the doorknob.
These two were ck Rose''s most powerful ghost creatures.
A fight to the death!
She didn''t want her eight days of effort to go to waste; no matter what, she had to endure thest two days toplete this instance!
"For thest two days, don''t sleep. Stay on high alert, and if you drag us down, I''ll throw you out of the room!" ck Rose said coldly to Princess Yao Yao.
Princess Yao Yao nodded vigorously.
Meanwhile.
Qin Nuo, in his room, also heard the announcement of Jiang Xiaobai exiting the game.
"Now, including me, there are only three yers left in the game, the other two being ck Rose and Princess Yao Yao," Qin Nuo murmured.
"Two days left, what do you n to do?" Blood-Eyed Ghost asked.
Qin Nuo shook his head, "No, I want to end this game tonight."
"It won''t be able to sit still, so tonight is the final showdown!"
With that, Qin Nuo opened the game panel and entered the name of the third target.
Seeing the name, Blood-Eyed Ghost was stunned, a bit puzzled, "Did you enter the wrong name?"
"No mistake."
Qin Nuo smiled slightly and closed the game panel.
Time flew by, and soon the day faded, and night fell, darkness enveloping the blood-stained apartment.
In the corridor, Qin Nuo closed the door to room 404.
Next door, room 405 suddenly opened, and Fat Homebody Ghost didn''te out but instead poked his head out, his lower half bare, clearly busy with something inside.
Seeing Qin Nuo about to leave, he asked in confusion, "Brother, where are you going in the middle of the night?"
"It''s stuffy inside, I''m going out for a walk," Qin Nuo replied.
"Oh, I heard from Liu Ze that there was a lot of noise in your roomst night, did something happen?"
"Tell me, I''ll definitely help you sort it out!"
Qin Nuo thought to himself, wasn''t it you who barged inst night, causing all thatmotion?
"You don''t know what happenedst night?"
"No, I was already asleep."
"Then it''s nothing, Liu might have heard wrong, you go back to your work."
Fat Homebody Ghost nodded, then shamelessly asked, "Hey brother, that girlfriend you gave me... I mean, the pillow, it''s really nice. Can I ask if there''s a link for it?"
"No link, it''s a collector''s edition. Why, did you break it?" Qin Nuo asked.
Fat Homebody Ghost quickly waved his hand, "No, no, how could I? It''s a treasure from a good brother, I''ve kept it safe."
Seeing Fat Homebody Ghost''s guilty look, Qin Nuo couldn''t be bothered to expose him, chatted a bit, and then went downstairs.
As he descended, Blood-Eyed Ghost couldn''t help but ask, "Why doesn''t that fat nerd remember anything?"
"The killer not only has the ability to control tenants but also to erase memories."
"This should be a privilege granted by the game, but it seems it can only be used once a day," Qin Nuo exined.
The first-floor lobby was even more deste at night.
Only the oldndlordy at the front desk, holding a worn-out radio, listening to Peking opera.
Outside the apartment door, shadows flickered, as if ghosts and monsters were lurking, coveting the inside of the apartment.
But perhaps because the oldndlordy there, they were wary, always staying ten meters away from the apartment, not daring to approach.
Qin Nuo walked over.
The oldndlord didn''t open his eyes and said, "I told you, it''s best to stay in your room at night, it''s not safe out here."
"I only collect rent, I''m not responsible for any idents."
Qin Nuo smiled, "I know, but I got the urge to y chess, and after thinking it over, only you can give me a satisfying game."
Hearing about chess, the oldndlord opened his eyes, interested.
"Young man, your chess addiction is worse than mine?"
Qin Nuo scratched his head and smiled, "Actually, I lost a game during the day and felt unwilling, so I wanted to have another match."
The oldndlordughed heartily, "Seeing yourpetitive spirit, let''s y then."
"But just one game, I''m old, can''t stay up like you young folks."
"Alright."
The oldndlord was proactive, immediately taking out a chessboard and setting it up.
Soon, they began to y.
After a few moves, the oldndlord nced at Qin Nuo''s expression, somewhat displeased, "Your mind isn''t on the game."
Qin Nuo advanced a pawn and said, "To be honest, I''m not getting along with a neighbor, so I''m quite troubled."
"And then?" the oldndlord asked, his face unchanged.
"That neighbor isn''t very friendly, threatened to teach me a lesson tonight," Qin Nuo observed the oldndlord''s expression as he spoke.
The oldndlord snorted coldly, putting down a piece, "This is why you came to me, right?"
"If tenants don''t get along, I won''t help either side. If you cause trouble, I''ll throw you both out of the apartment!" the oldndlord said coldly, giving Qin Nuo no face.
Qin Nuo nodded, "Understood, let''s continue the game."
The game continued for a few more minutes, and suddenly, the temperature in the lobby plummeted.
The corridor filled with ck mist, the eerie atmosphere thickening.
The oldndlord''s hand, holding a chess piece, suddenly stopped.
Qin Nuo also sensed it, Blood-Eyed Ghost was unusually tense, "It''s here, that guy is here!"
The oldndlord snorted coldly, shouting into the nearby darkness, "Dare to cause trouble under my nose? Get lost!"
The ghost aura showed no sign of dissipating, continuing to spread in the lobby.
The oldndlord''s face grew increasingly fierce, veins bulging on his forehead, his clothes puffing up as a terrifying aura burst forth.
Qin Nuo spread his hands and said, "Old man, you see, it''s not me causing trouble, it''s the other side looking for trouble, not respecting you."
Blood-Eyed Ghost blinked, finally understanding the purpose of the chess game, "Goodness, no wonder he came to y chess in the middle of the night, he wanted to use this old man as a shield, how cunning!"
The oldndlord''s anger continued to rise, his pitch-ck eyes shooting out terrifying beams.
This was the first tenant daring to oppose him!
He suddenly stood up, the chessboard instantly shattering, pieces flying everywhere.
At that moment, a shadow appeared at the stairway.
Ignoring the oldndlord, it stared directly at Qin Nuo, filled with murderous intent!
Chapter 52: A story, unlocking memories!
When the Blood-Eyed Ghost saw the pair of crimson eyes in the shadow, its reaction was even more intense than Qin Nuo''s: "Can we turn around and run? This guy is my nightmare!"
"Stay calm." Although Qin Nuo said this, a thinyer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
He didn''t count on the oldndlord or the Blood-Eyed Ghost; he had another card up his sleeve.
However, whether he could y it depended on luck.
When the oldndlord saw the shadow, he squinted his eyes, "Are you a tenant in the apartment? Why haven''t I seen you before?"
The shadow''s gaze then shifted to the oldndlord.
The ghost aura from both sides surged violently.
Like two bulls colliding fiercely, evenly matched, the rampant ghost aura rapidly corroded the floor and walls.
"This old man doesn''t look weak, but can he win?" the Blood-Eyed Ghost muttered."What if he can''t win?" Qin Nuo asked.
"Then find afortable spot for it to kill you."
"......"
Qin Nuo couldn''t help but retort, "Why are you such a weakling?"
"Signing a cursed contract with you, I''m increasingly feeling like I''m at a loss."
"I told you before, I''m injured and can only open two eyes. If you let me open nine eyes, I could knock it down like a dog!"
Qin Nuo rolled his eyes.
As the oppressive atmosphere reached its peak, about to erupt into a horror-level battle at any moment.
The shadow suddenly spoke, "What, old man, don''t you recognize me?"
The oldndlord frowned, puzzled.
The shadow raised a hand, tearing off a ck, gooey mask-like thing from its face.
A terrifying face, full of sores and tumors, was exposed to the air.
The old man''s pupils suddenly contracted, and a deep fear appeared on his numb face.
It was as if some sealed memories had broken free, all resurfacing!
"You are him! No... impossible!"
The old man clutched his head, veins bulging on his forehead, his voice hoarse with pain.
The resurfaced memories seemed to split his head open!
In the end, the oldndlord''s body rapidly withered and shriveled, his eyes losing their shape, bing hollow sockets.
When he fell to the ground, he turned into a dried corpse, as if all moisture had been drained.
The Blood-Eyed Ghost was dumbfounded: "Damn, without even fighting, the old man is gone?"
That face was scary, but you''re a ghost too, how could you be scared to death!
The shadow looked at Qin Nuo, his tone mocking, "Is this your trump card?"
In a sh, the shadow was right in front of Qin Nuo.
A towering figure, exuding terrifying pressure.
"I''m curious to guess how many lives you have. If I kill you this time, can you stille back?"
Qin Nuo suppressed the fear in his heart and spoke calmly, "Why don''t you try?"
"You don''t know my name, nor do you recognize me, so no matter how many lives you have, you''ll lose this game!" the shadow said sinisterly.
"Who says I don''t recognize you? And who says I don''t know your name?"
"Haven''t we already met?" Qin Nuo smirked.
The shadow paused, then sneered, "Trying to trick me?"
Qin Nuo didn''t respond, instead asking the Blood-Eyed Ghost, "Buddy, how long can you hold him off for me?"
Blood-Eyed Ghost: "Don''t count on me."
"Even if I can hold him off, I can''t beat this guy, the result will be the same."
"How long exactly?"
The Blood-Eyed Ghost was silent for a moment, then said, "I don''t know, but I''ll try my best."
"Good."
Qin Nuo looked up, "Let me tell you a story."
The shadow knew Qin Nuo could still revive, so he wasn''t in a hurry to strike.
"About ten years ago, a family of three moved into the apartment. The parents were low-level workers, the daughter excelled in her studies, they rarely argued, and although life wasn''t wealthy, it was happy."
"Butter, a viral gue broke out. The parents discovered they had contracted the virus and would surely die without treatment."
"The parents, not wanting to worry their daughter, kept it a secret and nned to go to the hospital quietly. However, a neighbor found out and told everyone in the apartment."
"In an instant, everyone in the apartment was in a panic. But what they feared more was that if the parents went to the hospital, everyone would be quarantined, and the fact that the apartment was a dangerous building would be exposed."
"Everyone living in the apartment was a migrant worker. If the apartment was gone, they would all be homeless..."
Qin Nuo''s story was only halfway through.
But the ghost aura on the shadow became chaotic, and the crimson eyes exploded with terrifying killing intent.
In the next moment, he raised his head and viciously stabbed at Qin Nuo''s neck.
At the same time, the Blood-Eyed Ghost also acted, using his right hand to catch the stabbing hand de.
Simultaneously, a blood eye flipped open on the back of his hand.
Then, a second blood eye flipped open on his wrist!
In an instant, the ghost power released by the Blood-Eyed Ghost surged, intercepting all of the shadow''s attacks.
And Qin Nuo continued his story.
"Then, someone thought of a way, which was to imprison the couple in their room, let them die naturally, and dump their bodies outside, creating the illusion of dying from a viral infection in the wild."
"At that time, some people opposed it, with the oldndlord being the most vocal. But since he was the mastermind behind the dangerous building incident and didn''t report it, he became one of the viins."
"In the end, the entire apartment, all viins, executed this n, binding the family of three in room 402 in their room. To create a perfect illusion, they injected the father''s blood into the uninfected daughter, infecting her."
"Five dayster, the girl''s parents died one after another. But before they died, they bit through the ropes binding their daughter, hoping she would survive."
"The freed daughter, seeing her deceased parents, didn''t run away. Instead, she secretly went to the rooftop, and in a strong me of revenge, she slit her wrists, dripping her blood into the water tank, and ended her life by jumping off the rooftop."
"The final exciting part, all the apartment residents drank the water mixed with the girl''s blood. After missing the best treatment opportunity, all the viins died in the apartment..."
Qin Nuo looked up, his gaze burning as he looked at the shadow, "My story is over, was it exciting?"
Looking at the shadow again, the nightmare he least wanted to recall was fully exposed, breaking his defenses.
A terrifying roar erupted from his throat, his eyes filled with killing intent and violence, a monstrous killing aura swept out, "Die! Die! Die!!"
The Blood-Eyed Ghost couldn''t hold on any longer.
The flesh on his right hand cracked at a visible speed, blood sttering.
"Damn it, are you crazy? If you''re not helping, at least don''t provoke it!"
The Blood-Eyed Ghost shouted.
Was this kid deliberately setting him up?
Qin Nuo ignored the Blood-Eyed Ghost''s wailing, looking at the nearly deranged shadow, he said:
"By the way, let me answer the question you asked me earlier."
"Liu Quande, that''s your name, and you''re Liu Meng''s father, and..."
Qin Nuo turned his head, looking at the second shadow that appeared out of nowhere, as if from thin air.
The shadow''s eyes were also filled with overwhelming killing intent!
"Liu Meng''s mother, Chu Meng."
Chapter 53: The final card is played, the curtain falls!
The distance between them was so close that they could almost hear each other''s heartbeat.
Facing the murderous Chu Meng, Qin Nuo remained calm and even managed a slight smile.
"Aren''t you afraid?" Chu Meng asked expressionlessly.
"Life and death have their own destiny. At this moment, what''s there to fear?" Qin Nuo replied.
The Blood-Eyed Ghost was already exhausted and gave up resisting.
It looked at Qin Nuo with resentment, "So you had me stop it just to hear you tell a story?"
Qin Nuo thought to himself, "This story is important."
"It determines our victory or defeat."
"Huh?" The Blood-Eyed Ghost was bewildered.Liu Quande and Chu Meng stood in front and behind Qin Nuo, blocking all possible escape routes.
"You''re so confident, you must be able to resurrect, right? But it doesn''t matter."
"We''ll keep hunting you until you''ve exhausted all your chances of resurrection," Liu Quande said hoarsely.
"You are indeed calm and smart, deducing all the truths with just a few clues on your own."
"Unfortunately, this game isn''t won by finding the truth!"
"Now, it''s time to send you on your way."
The Blood-Eyed Ghost sighed helplessly, "All that effort for nothing."
"Not necessarily."
"I think this one life is enough for me to win this game," Qin Nuo said with a smile.
The terrifying faces of Liu Quande and Chu Meng trembled, their murderous intent and anger never diminishing.
Qin Nuo''s constant calmness andposure made them uneasy.
A strong sense of unease!
"Die!!"
Liu Quande and Chu Meng struck at the same moment, their hands like des, aiming for Qin Nuo''s neck.
Buzz!!
However, at the moment of contact with Qin Nuo, a purple light burst out from within him.
Immediately, the purple light transformed into a swirling ck hole, engulfing Liu Quande and Chu Meng into the vortex.
In an instant, the ck hole, along with the couple, vanished without a trace!
"Ding, detected that Liu Quande and Chu Meng generated immense negative emotions due to the host, breaking the defense value beyond 99%."
"Triggered passive skill¡ªRing of Rights!"
Ring of Rights!
A skill obtained afterpleting the first instance.
It was also Qin Nuo''s final trump card.
"When the opponent''s negative emotions break the defense, they will be forcibly sent into the Rights Space, and must give up their most beloved thing to get out."
"Otherwise, they will be forever sealed in the void space!"
This is why Qin Nuo told the truth in the form of a story.
The purpose was to break Liu Quande and Chu Meng''s defense!
It was the couple''s darkest memory, the nightmare they least wanted to face.
It was also the biggest bargaining chip to trigger the passive skill Ring of Rights.
Due to various uncertainties, the risk was naturally high, but for Qin Nuo, who had no way out, he could only take a gamble.
"Where did they go?" the Blood-Eyed Ghost asked.
The scene had happened so quickly that it hadn''t even seen what transpired.
"They went somewhere cooler," Qin Nuo said.
As for whether Liu Quande and his wife would return from the Rights Space.
Qin Nuo''s answer was no.
To give up their most beloved thing.
What was Liu Quande and his wife''s most beloved?
It could only be their daughter, Liu Meng!
In their eyes, Liu Meng''s importance far exceeded their own.
So, the answer was obvious.
"Is this your trump card? Impressive!"
The Blood-Eyed Ghost eximed in surprise, but after thinking about it, it angrily said, "With such a powerful trump card, why didn''t you use it earlier!"
"It needed the right opportunity, not so easy."
Qin Nuo replied.
The skill Ring of Rights was very domineering.
But the conditions were not low either.
Making a ghost''s defense break over 99% was not easy.
Qin Nuo looked at his right hand, already a bloody mess, with even the white bones visible.
But due to the Blood-Eyed Ghost''s parasitic nature, Qin Nuo felt no pain.
Qin Nuo wasn''t worried about the condition of his right hand.
In the Horror Game, all injuries sustained would automatically heal after exiting the instance.
"So, have we won now?"
Qin Nuo shook his head, "Our final boss hasn''t appeared yet."
He turned around, looking at Liu Meng slowly emerging from the darkness.
Liu Meng''s pretty face showed no expression, but her eyes carried a bone-chilling coldness, "Where did you send them?"
Qin Nuo smiled slightly, "Little girl, why the long face? You used to call me big brother so sweetly!"
Seeing Liu Meng remain silent, Qin Nuo put away his smile and said, "They won''t being back."
Surprisingly, Liu Meng didn''t break down, nor did she show any anger.
She just gave a sad smile, "It doesn''t matter, losing this game, my final oue won''t change."
"If I''m not mistaken, your target this time is me."
"As long as I make a move against you, the game will end."
"Even if I don''t, in two days, the designated name will be automatically determined."
"This game, I have no chance of winning."
Liu Meng''s words were all in a tone of certainty.
When her parents failed, she had already guessed her own fate.
Qin Nuo didn''t say much, just nodded, "That''s right."
Liu Meng raised her head, looking at the starless night sky outside the window, murmuring.
"If we hadn''t moved into this apartment back then, do you think our family''s oue would have been beautiful?"
"No ifs."
Qin Nuo''s answer was harsh.
Liu Meng withdrew her gaze, murmuring, "Phantom, I admit defeat in this game."
"But in the Horror World, there are many interesting games, and sooner orter, you''ll experience true despair in those games."
With that, Liu Meng raised her jade hand.
A jade hairpin instantly appeared in front of Qin Nuo''s forehead.
But at the moment of contact, the hairpin shattered, scattering on the ground.
Liu Meng also turned into a cluster of fragmented light, dissipating under the pale blue moonlight...
Qin Nuo looked at the fragments on the ground, remained silent for a moment, then raised his head and exhaled a long breath.
"Finally, this game hase to an end!"
It was truly over.
Luckily, Wang Xun wasn''t brought in, otherwise, even with a hundred lives, she probably wouldn''t havepleted it.
The difficulty of this instance was beyond everyone''s expectations, truly a trap!
Qin Nuo''s victory wasn''t mainly due to his intellect, but rather his cheat!
This cheat was truly sweet!
The Blood-Eyed Ghost couldn''t help but speak, "I''m not very smart."
"I just want to ask, when you first designated the target, you had already identified Liu Meng, why didn''t it work?"
"The game rules are very clear, the designated target must personally attack you to count as a win."
"Or, if you survive until the game ends, and the designated target is correct, then it''s also a win."
"Liu Meng knew this game rule, so just in case, she had her parents act as the killers."
"Later, she saw me getting infinitely close to the truth, and manipted the apartment residents to try to disrupt my thinking."
"But it didn''t work, I anticipated her anticipation," Qin Nuo said with a smile.
The Blood-Eyed Ghost, after hearing this, muttered self-deprecatingly, "All experts, only I''m the clown."
Qin Nuo chuckled.
"So, don''t just nce over everything, ignore the risks, and keep installing."
"Sometimes, a single detail can determine your fate!"
Chapter 54: Rating rewards, my store!
When Liu Meng disappeared, everything in the apartment began to decay at a speed visible to the naked eye, turning into piles of dust.
Inside the apartment, Little Yuan''s Mom, the Fat Homebody Ghost, Liu Ze, Xia Xinlu, and all the other residents instantly turned into dried corpses, their eyes empty, copsing to the ground.
"Not a permanent instance?" Qin Nuo was slightly taken aback.
Unlike the Nether Springs Restaurant, once the game ended, the Bloodstained Apartment would cease to exist; it was a one-time instance.
In room 306, ck Rose and Princess Yao Yao also noticed thendlord''s belongings rapidly decaying.
The two women''s expressions changed, thinking the killer had arrived, and they prepared to fight for their lives.
"Congrattions to the yer ''Phantom'' for correctly identifying the target and sessfully finding the killer in the apartment!"
"The game is over, and yers will soon exit the instance!"
The game''s announcement echoed in the minds of the three people.ck Rose and Princess Yao Yao were naturally bewildered.
Phantom?
He''s not dead yet?!
Before the two could figure out the situation, a beam of light enveloped them, and they disappeared from the room.
When they opened their eyes again, they were already in a void space.
ck Rose raised her head and saw Qin Nuo beside her, unable to resist asking, "Is the game''s announcement real?"
"How could it be fake?" Qin Nuo replied with a hint of amusement.
"How do you have three lives?" Princess Yao Yao asked in surprise.
Qin Nuo thought to himself that he had more than three, but he casually replied, "Who knows."
ck Rose naturally knew Qin Nuo wouldn''t say.
The rewards from instances were bizarre and varied.
The higher the score, the more unimaginable the rewards.
She had seen those god-level yers with ghost creatures in their hands that could even forcibly change the game''s rules, like Doraemon''s magic pocket, with all sorts of abilities.
She guessed Qin Nuo must have used some ghost creature to extend his life.
"So, who was the killer?" ck Rose could only ask him.
"The resident of 402, I just guessed, thinking with myst life, why not take a gamble."
"Unexpectedly, Lady Luck was quite kind to me," Qin Nuo said with a smile.
ck Rose didn''t ask further.
High luck factor?
Trying to fool the naive?
"Really, Qin Nuo, you''re so lucky, helping usplete this instance!" Princess Yao Yao eximed with joy, genuinely believing it.
ck Rose: "..."
"Next, all yers will be transported back to the real world, and the instance score and rewards will be settled. Please be prepared!"
ck Rose: "Well, let''s say goodbye here. If fate allows, we might meet in another instance."
Princess Yao Yao also bid farewell to Qin Nuo and ck Rose.
Then, the two disappeared from Qin Nuo''s sight.
Strangely, Qin Nuo wasn''t transported back.
"What''s going on?" Qin Nuo wondered.
"Congrattions to yer ''Phantom'' forpleting the Bloodstained Apartment instance, rated at 6.0 points!"
"Additional score: Instance taskspleted 7/23, earning 4.2 points!"
"Additional score: Main taskpleted 1/1, earning 5.8 points!"
"Overall score: 16.0 points!"
"System reward: One golden treasure chest!"
"Ghost currency reward: 300 denomination."
"Ghost creature reward: Qingyin Stone." (Special material, can be fused with metal attribute ghost creatures to enhance ghost power strength)
"Territory reward: Acquired [Nightmare Garment Apartment], one hall, one room, totaling five rooms."
"Or level 2 renovation right (can expand orprehensively upgrade existing territory property)."
"Note: Only one territory reward can be chosen."
Can it be yed like this?
Qin Nuo pondered.
On the surface, directly acquiring another apartment building seemed more worthwhile.
But this wasn''t the real world; having more buildings didn''t make you richer.
The Red Moon Convenience Store was already facing issues like poor management, and acquiring another apartment would only add more trouble, leaving no time to manage it.
Better to solve the problems of the Red Moon Convenience Store first, increase its revenue, and stop losing money!
With this in mind, Qin Nuo didn''t hesitate and chose thetter.
"Congrattions to yer Phantom for obtaining level 2 renovation rights!"
At that moment, new memories flooded into Qin Nuo''s mind.
"This time, there''s one less skill reward, but overall, it''s richer thanst time."
Qin Nuo murmured.
Whether a score of 16.0 was the highest, Qin Nuo didn''t know.
At least, Qin Nuo believed there was no room for the Bloodstained Apartment instance''s score to rise.
At this moment, the information panel suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Please choose whether to be directly transported back to the real world or to the territory property owned in the Horror World."
"Territory property: Red Moon Convenience Store." (Currently)
"So I wasn''t in a hurry to be transported back because there was this option," Qin Nuo realized.
Naturally, he was eager to check on his store.
And see if he could solve the problems facing the convenience store.
Qin Nuo chose the Red Moon Convenience Store without hesitation.
A feeling of weightlessness enveloped him, light appeared all over his body, and in an instant, his vision blurred.
When his sight cleared, a chilling coldness enveloped him.
Qin Nuo appeared on a deste street, with empty roads on both sides, newspapers and trash flying everywhere.
"Back to the Horror World again."
Qin Nuo looked up and saw the sign of the Red Moon Convenience Store.
However, perhaps due to a loose screw, the sign was tilted to one side, stained with arge patch of what might be fuel or blood-red liquid.
From a distance, it looked like a scene from a horror movie, quite eerie.
Good thing it''s not in the real world; otherwise, who would do business here!
"Why are you here?" the Blood-Eyed Ghost asked.
"Just checking how my store is doing."
"You have your own store in this world?" the Blood-Eyed Ghost was astonished.
"I like to keep a low profile."
Qin Nuo smiled, adjusted his cor, and walked toward the convenience store.
Ding-a-ling!!
Pushing open the ss door, the bell above the frame jingled, its clear and pleasant sound echoing inside the store.
At the counter, a short-haired girl was eating a self-heating hot pot while watching a drama.
By the shelves, a boy with a youthful face was sitting on the floor, leaning against the shelves, ying a PS game console.
These were the two employees of the Red Moon Convenience Store, a cashier and a stock clerk.
Hearing a customer enter, the girl didn''t look up, saying tly, "Find what you need yourself; everything on the shelves is clearly priced."
"There are no cameras in the store, but if I catch you stealing, I''ll rip out your tongue!"
Qin Nuo cleared his throat twice, not moving.
Only then did the girl look up at Qin Nuo, somewhat surprised, "A human?"
The boy also nced at Qin Nuo, correcting her, "A Half-Ghost."
"Oh." The girl lost interest and lowered her head again, continuing to eat her snail noodles from the self-heating pot.
Qin Nuo walked over, knocked on the table, and ced the property ownership certificate on the counter.
The girl, a bit impatient, was about to speak, but when she caught sight of the document, her bright eyes widened in surprise.
She quickly stood up, wiping the oil from the corner of her mouth, "Bo... Boss?"
Qin Nuo smiled warmly, "Neglecting your duties during work hours, you''ve lost your perfect attendance bonus for this month."
Chapter 55: Store dilemma, rejuvenated!
The girl jumped up upon hearing this, pushing the self-heating pot on the table into the trash can. "Boss, I was just taking a little break. It won''t happen again."
Over there, a young boy walked over, saw the documents and contracts on the table, and discreetly put away his game console. "Hello, Boss."
"Don''t hide it, I saw it all. You''re the same," Qin Nuo said.
The boy grimaced but said nothing.
They all knew there was a new boss, but after a month without seeing any ghostly presence, with no supervision, and the store''s sales declining, their work had be increasinglyzy and perfunctory.
Who would have thought the new boss would conduct a surprise inspection today?
"How''s the business doing?" Qin Nuo asked as he walked around the store.
The store wasn''trge, less than 50 square meters, with scattered shelves covered in dust and cobwebs, seemingly untouched for ages.
Moreover, Qin Nuo had noticed from outside that the convenience store was not only missing its sign but also had damage to the roof and side walls.This severely affected the store''s appearance.
Qin Nuo frowned at this.
Rather than a territorial reward, he felt like the previous owner had dumped a mess on him.
"Very bad. This month, we''ve only had 20 sales, and the revenue hasn''t even exceeded 400 Ghost Currency," the girl said with a troubled expression.
"And then,st month, a store suddenly opened across the street, expanding with three branches, all located on the three streets near our store," the boy added, his face turning cold. "This is malicious targeting of us!"
"Competition is not unusual," Qin Nuo said.
"As the boss, it''s my job to solve problems."
The girl looked a bit embarrassed and said, "Boss, before solving the problems, could you pay usst month''s sry?"
"We''re so poor we can''t even afford instant noodles."
"So you stole the self-heating pot from the store to eat?" Qin Nuo nced at her.
The girl blushed and lowered her head, not daring to speak.
Despite saying this, Qin Nuo still paid themst month''s sry. At least they hadn''t run the store into the ground.
"Thank you, Boss!" The girl and boy''s eyes lit up when they saw the Ghost Currency.
The new boss was generous!
The previous one always had a sour face and dyed their wages, which was really annoying!
The two ghosts took their wages to the side, happily counting with their fingers dipped in saliva.
Taking this opportunity, Qin Nuo opened the Red Moon Convenience Store panel and checked the identity information of the two employees.
Cashier: Li Tongtong.
Age: 19.
Level: Terrifying.
Stock Clerk: Yuan Shan.
Age: 18.
Level: Terrifying.
Ghosts are ranked by strength, naturally requiring something to measure them by. The levels of ghosts and ghost creatures are the same.
This is part of the knowledge of the Horror World.
If Qin Nuo guessed correctly, Liu Quande and Chu Meng in the instance should be at the Horror Level, and even within that level, they rarely have opponents.
Therefore, Li Tongtong and Yuan Shan are not weak.
At least they wouldn''t be afraid of the Blood-Eyed Ghost with its eyes wide open!
"Two terrifying-level ghosts working for me, it''s kind of a proud thought," Qin Nuo mused.
Then he shook his head, discarding these irrelevant thoughts. The most important thing now was the convenience store''s predicament.
"The store losing money every day isn''t the problem. At this rate, it could close next month, and you can pack your bags," Qin Nuo said to the two ghosts who were still happily counting their Ghost Currency.
The two ghosts quickly responded.
"No, Boss, if the store closes, we''ll have to sleep on the streets!"
Qin Nuo asked, "What''s the biggest problem right now?"
Yuan Shan said, "Actually, there are just two problems."
"First, the store''s sign, corners, roof... all have damage, and it''s getting worse. At this rate, the store will copse soon."
"Customers don''te, partly because of the store''s unsightly appearance."
"Repairing it would cost a lot of money!"
The two looked at Qin Nuo cautiously.
Dying employee wages.
The store was in shambles.
Now, the supply had been cut off.
So many messes left behind.
The new boss might just explode on the spot!
Qin Nuo did feel his blood pressure rising, but fortunately, he had a backup n.
"No worries, I''ve hired a free repair team. They''ll solve this problem," Qin Nuo said.
"A free repair team?" Li Tongtong and Yuan Shan were puzzled.
Could this boss have connections?
Qin Nuo didn''t say much more, opening the system panel and using the Level 2 Modification Right.
"Ding, the host uses the Level 2 Modification Right,mand issued¡ªRepair, Improve, Upgrade!"
Qin Nuo looked around the convenience store.
"No movement?"
In his imagination, it would be like in Harry Potter, with various materials flying around, automatically assembling for repairs.
But...
Li Tongtong and Yuan Shan''s expressions changed, and they rushed to the door.
Outside the Red Moon Convenience Store, a ck mist suddenly appeared, covering the store and flowing inside.
Sensing no malice from the mist, Qin Nuo and the others didn''t move.
Gurgling sounds asionally came from the ck mist.
About two minutester, the mist dissipated.
Looking at the store''s interior again, it waspletely renewed!
The tiles climbing with asphalt, the cracked whitewashed walls, the unsightly restroom, the corroded and worn shelves...
All reced with brand new ones!
Li Tongtong and Yuan Shan''s eyes widened as they rushed outside the store.
The blood-stained, worn-out sign and the cracked side walls were also reced with thetest materials.
Most importantly, the store now had two potted orange trees and arge hot air balloon for attracting customers, with a red carpet extending to the roadside, making it quite impressive!
The two employees were stunned, unable to help but exim.
"This repair team is amazing!"
"Boss, you''re awesome! Where did you find such a high-level repair team? It must have taken a lot of effort, right?" The two employees looked at Qin Nuo with admiration.
The previous boss was always overwhelmed and worried about the store''s repairs.
This new boss solved it in an instant with just a word!
"What''s all the fuss about?" Qin Nuo said calmly, though he was also surprised inside.
The efficiency was incredible!
"Ding, the appearance of the Red Moon Convenience Store has improved, increasing the store''s attractiveness by 60%!"
Qin Nuo looked at Yuan Shan. "The first problem is solved. What''s the second?"
Yuan Shan said, "The second is thepetitor, the store across the street, the Other Shore Convenience Store."
"That''s not a problem anymore."
"With the Red Moon Convenience Store''s new look, we canpete head-on!"
Qin Nuo said, with the store''s current appearance, there''s no fear of losing business, right?
Yuan Shan smiled wryly, "That''s true, but..."
"The problem is, our supply has been cut off, and the store hasn''t restocked. Many products are expired and can''t be reced!"
"Supply cut off?" Qin Nuo frowned.
"The bastard owner across the street somehow bribed the manufacturer, cutting off the Red Moon Convenience Store''s partnership!"
After saying this, Li Tongtong added for herself, "Boss, don''t look at me for stealing food. I only ate the near-expiry items to avoid waste!"
Qin Nuo pondered for a moment and asked, "What''s the background of that owner?"
Chapter 56: Position Panel, Player Level!
"I don''t know," Li Tongtong and Yuan Shan both shook their heads.
"Boss, are you going to personally go and demand justice? That''s so cool!"
"No," Qin Nuo shook his head.
The other party was definitely not someone small, and he was just an ordinary person. Going alone? He wasn''t that foolish.
Ghosts in the Horror World were never friendly to humans.
The same went for Half-Ghosts.
The Blood-Eyed Ghost, that weakling, couldn''t protect him.
That''s what Qin Nuo thought.
If he said it out loud, the Blood-Eyed Ghost would probably retort, "Are you being polite?""Oh," Li Tongtong and Yuan Shan were a bit disappointed. Without a supplier, what should they do?
"Ding, detecting issues with the Red Moon Convenience Store. It is suggested that the Host unlock the employee module."
"Employee module?" Qin Nuo was taken aback. There was such a thing?
"Based on the current positions at Red Moon Convenience Store, the missing positions include Deputy Manager, Janitor, and Delivery Driver."
"Unlocking the Deputy Manager position can automatically find suppliers, formte moreprehensive operational ns, and manage staff."
Qin Nuo''s eyes lit up instantly.
Professional matters should be handled by professional ghosts.
With this Deputy Manager, he could be a hands-off boss, just collecting and losing money each month. Isn''t that great?
"Unlock!" Without even looking at the price, Qin Nuo directly instructed the system to unlock it.
"Insufficient level, unlock failed."
"System level?" Qin Nuo asked.
"yer level."
"The Host''s current yer level is Level 2. To unlock the ''Deputy Manager'' position, Level 3 is required."
"Hint: Completing a set of C-level or higher instances can raise you to Level 3."
Qin Nuo suddenly understood.
No wonder he saw many items in the system store that couldn''t be purchased, grayed out. It turned out he didn''t have enough levels to unlock them.
"Boss, have you thought of a solution?" Li Tongtong asked.
"Of course, with the boss''s connections, finding a supplier is just a matter of a word!" Yuan Shan ttered.
Qin Nuo nced at him, somewhat speechless.
The boy with the baby face thought it was a look of approval from the boss and scratched his head,ughing twice.
"Give me some time, I''ll solve this problem."
"In the meantime, continue operating. I''ll cover the lossester," Qin Nuo said.
He really didn''t have the energy to go through another instance right now.
The Bloodstained Apartment instance had almost drained him.
At least he should return to the real world and rest for a bit.
After leaving the instance, staying in the Horror World, the time ratio was 1:1. If he didn''t go back soon, his sister might think he was dead.
Returning to the real world and seeing his own ck-and-white photo would be awkward!
Although it wasn''t resolved, Qin Nuo''s words inexplicably reassured Li Tongtong and Yuan Shan, who nodded obediently.
"Busy with work, I''ll be off now," Qin Nuo waved his hand.
"Take care, Boss!"
The two employees saw Qin Nuo out of the store, watching his figure disappear at the end.
"The new boss is really nice and reliable. He''s my type, but unfortunately, he''s a Half-Ghost, sigh!" Li Tongtongmented.
Yuan Shan said, "Don''t regret it. We need to work seriously these days."
"The stricter the boss, the more likely he''ll fire us if he catches us cking off!" Yuan Shan said.
"Ah, getting fired, I don''t want to use newspapers as a pillow and sleep on the streets!"
Yuan Shan ignored her, went to the shelves, and started stocking goods, checking expiration dates.
Li Tongtong was about to return to the front desk when she suddenly stopped.
Outside the store, a drowned ghost, dripping wet and covered in moss, was walking in.
"Little girl, I''m starving. Can you give me something to eat, or even half a stick of incense, please..."
Under the soaked long hair, a pair of eyeless sockets, only whites showing, the voice croaked from the throat, almost inaudible.
"No, go away," Li Tongtong replied, turning to leave.
The water ghost froze for a moment, then its face twitched, copsing like dough on one side.
Arge amount of water flowed from its body, spreading out, the ground melting visibly.
"No? Then I''ll eat you!"
The drowned ghost''s voice was sharp and vicious, terrifying ghost aura erupting from its hunched body.
Once weak and dying, now it lunged like a frenzied, red-eyed beast!
However, a small, pale hand pressed the drowned ghost back to its ce.
Li Tongtong''s innocent face was filled with coldness, her eyes gradually turning crimson: "I said, no."
The drowned ghost''s pupils contracted, struggling to speak: "I understand, I''ll just..."
Before it could finish, the small hand squeezed, and the drowned ghost''s body was crushed into a mass of blood and mud, as if by a hydraulic press.
The floor was stained red.
The red carpet became even redder.
But in Li Tongtong''s eyes, these liquids were filthy.
Li Tongtong showed a troubled expression: "Oh no, I''ve dirtied the boss''s new carpet. He''s going to kill me!"
Saying this, Li Tongtong turned and ran back into the store to get cleaning tools.
...
"System, return to the real world," Qin Nuo said.
As soon as he spoke, his whole body was enveloped in light, and with a sense of weightlessness, the scene before him quickly blurred.
Boom!!
When the weightlessness disappeared and the scene cleared again, Qin Nuo was already sitting at his desk.
On the desk was a photo of him and his sister.
The room hadn''t changed at all, even the ss of water he left on the desk before entering the instance was still there, untouched.
Qin Nuo knew that the ten days of torment.
In the real world, only a day had passed.
"I wonder how my sister is doing. She probably didn''t sleep a winkst night."
Qin Nuo got up and walked out of the room.
Before he reached the living room, he heard his sister and Wang Xun''s voices.
"Little Xun, think carefully, there must be a way to enter the game and save my brother, right?" Qin Yushi held Wang Xun''s hand, asking repeatedly.
Though it had only been a day, Qin Yushi''s spirit had noticeably deteriorated, exhaustion written all over her face.
Wang Xun, though reluctant, still said.
"Sorry, Yushi, once we enter the game, we can''t interfere. It''s up to the yer..."
She paused, trying to encourage Qin Yushi to be strong, "But your brother managed toe out of a forced entry horror game. With the protection mechanism in a horror game, he can definitelye out too!"
"So, you have to trust your brother!"
"It''s because I know him that I''m worried."
"The first instance, he managed toe back, probably used up all his luck!"
"He''s so dumb, how could hee back on his own?" Qin Yushi cried.
This made Qin Nuo, who was behind the wall, feel extremely awkward.
Is this really my sister?
Who talks about their brother like this?
Qin Nuo cleared his throat twice, walked out from the corridor, pretending he hadn''t heard anything, and smiled, "Hey, sis, I''m back!"
Chapter 57: Without learning and skills, roommate Yan Duo!
The two women thought they were hearing things until they saw Qin Nuo walk out, and only then did they react.
Qin Yushi, overjoyed, ran up and jumped onto Qin Nuo, giving him a familiar sloth-like hug.
Then, she started pinching Qin Nuo''s face and feeling around his body.
"Sis, what are you doing?" Qin Nuo was startled and took a few steps back as she was about to touch his groin.
"I''m checking if you''re hurt. If my brother is missing any part of his body, I''d feel guilty for the rest of my life!" Qin Yushi wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and said.
"Big sis, the rules of the Horror Game are that no matter how badly you''re injured inside, as long as youe back alive, you''ll recover. No need to worry," Qin Nuo said, ncing at his right hand.
"Was the instance only a day long?" Wang Xun asked in confusion.
"The time ratio is 1 to 10. I was in there for ten days," Qin Nuo replied.
"How was the difficulty of the instance?"Qin Nuo scratched his head andughed awkwardly, "For a newbie like me, it was quite difficult. I originally nned to just survive until the end of the instance, but there was a pro among the yers whopleted all the instance and mainline tasks in one go, finishing the game early."
"And so, we came back two days early."
Qin Nuo checked the time.
In reality, the return time was a few hours earlier than the previous day.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, Qin Nuo directly assumed the role of Princess Yao Yao.
As for the yer Phantom, whoever wants to be it can be it!
It wasn''t about deliberately hiding things, just being cautious.
This instance required inputting information to enter, and getting a super high score of 16.0 in the game would inevitably attract some attention and investigation into Phantom.
Personal information was entered before entering the instance.
After entering the instance, yers'' anonymity was mixed up.
That is to say, outsiders only knew that Phantom was hidden among the seven people, but didn''t know which one was Phantom!
"Looks like you were lucky this time too."
"However, instances for level one yers are quite simple, so I had high hopes for your return," Wang Xun said.
Qin Nuo nodded with a smile.
Simple...
Almost got wiped out!
At this point, Wang Xun''s expression changed, a frosty coldness appearing: "However, if you pull such a childish stunt again, I''ll definitely arrest you."
"Tampering with important police items is already a criminal act. Write me a reflection report in the next few days!"
Qin Nuo nodded like a pecking chicken: "I must write it."
"I was just worried about my sister, that''s why I went in for her."
"The Horror Game has many uncertainties, and even with protection mechanisms, you could die at any time."
"Let the professionals handle professional matters."
"You''re just a student," Wang Xun said.
"Understood, Sister Xun."
Wang Xun extended her hand: "The recement device."
Qin Nuo obediently handed it back.
"How did you unlock it? And know how to use this thing?" Wang Xun asked.
Qin Nuo mumbled, "I learned lock-picking and saw this thing online."
"Good-for-nothing."
After saying a few more words, Wang Xun left.
Qin Yushi patted Qin Nuo''s head and said, "Looks like Little Xun has lost all interest in you. I was thinking of introducing her to you!"
"These things are up to fate. It''s not like I can''t find a wife."
"Besides, until I find our parents, I can''t focus on these things," Qin Nuo said.
Qin Nuo didn''t notice the unnatural flicker in Qin Yushi''s eyes when he mentioned their parents, as she quietly said.
"What if we never find them?"
Qin Nuo half-jokingly replied, "Then I just won''t get married. Having you around is enough."
Qin Yushi didn''t banter with Qin Nuo as usual and said, "I''ll go make dinner."
With that, she left.
Qin Nuo didn''t pay much attention, assuming Qin Yushi was worried about him being exhausted.
...
Meanwhile, Wang Xun returned to her ce.
She took off her uniform and hung it up. As soon as she entered the living room, she saw a woman sitting on the sofa, writing in a notebook.
"Yan Duo, you''re back from the instance?" Wang Xun eximed in surprise.
"I exited at noon," Yan Duo nodded, closing the notebook in her hand.
"How was this instance? You came back in just a day, it should have been pretty easy, right?"
Wang Xun poured two sses of juice, cing one next to Yan Duo.
Yan Duo shook her head, her expression serious, "Honestly, this instance felt very off to me."
"Off? What do you mean?" Wang Xun sat down, unbuttoning a few buttons of her white shirt and directing the fan towards herself.
"The difficulty."
"The difficulty of this instance far exceeded the scope of the yers'' levels," Yan Duo briefly exined the content of the instance to Wang Xun.
"Battle royale mode?"
Wang Xun was stunned, murmuring, "Based on your levels, this instance should have been below D-level. Such a mode shouldn''t have appeared."
Yan Duo said, "So, do you think it''s possible that someone interfered with the instance?"
"How could that be? The Horror World has been around for so long, and no one''s ever heard of anyone being able to interfere with an instance."
"Oh, don''t overthink it. Maybe you were just unlucky, and the instance happened to have this game mechanism. It''s not surprising."
"Besides, even though it was difficult, didn''t you stillplete the instance ande back?" Wang Xunughed.
Yan Duo said helplessly, "Honestly, I won by lying down."
"There was a yer whopleted the mainline task, ending the instance early. Otherwise, I would have failed too."
"The problem is, he''s only level one, yet hepleted such a high-difficulty instance!"
Wang Xun spected, "Could it be a pro yer using a smurf ount?"
Yan Duo rolled her eyes, "Do you think this is a game where you can casually use a smurf ount?"
"Everyone must register with real identity information as a single anonymous yer to enter the Horror Game."
"That''s not possible."
Wang Xun pouted with a smile, "I know, I was just joking."
"The only exnation is that his gaming talent is really high," Yan Duo said.
"If possible, I''d really like to meet this Phantom and see who he really is."
"Phantom?" Wang Xun blinked.
"Do you know him?" Yan Duo looked at her.
"No, I don''t."
Wang Xun smiled mischievously, "Could it be you''re falling for this Phantom?"
"Let me tell you, online dating is unreliable. What if this Phantom is an old man? Wouldn''t you want to bang your head against the wall?"
"Get lost!" Yan Duo pinched Wang Xun hard, rolling her eyes.
But thinking seriously.
To have such meticulous thinking, calmness in the face of change, and strong stress resistance, it''s basically impossible for him to be young.
Maybe he really is an old man.
Or perhaps some uncle.
In the midst of their yful banter, Wang Xun suddenly thought that both Yan Duo and Qin Nuo seemed to have entered the instance yesterday and returned today.
Could it be the same instance?
But soon, she dismissed the thought.
Yan Duo returned at noon.
Qin Nuo came back nearly an hourter.
Clearly not the same instance.
Chapter 58: Supplementary class teacher, sales organization!
---
Ding-a-ling!
The next morning, Qin Nuo was awakened by the sound of his rm clock.
Opening his eyes, the warm sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting a glow on his face.
There was no gray sky, no filthy dorm environment, and no scent of blood or decay in the air.
Having grown ustomed to the Horror World, Qin Nuo couldn''t help but marvel.
Inparison, the scene before him was like paradise!
After washing up, Qin Nuo went to the living room. His sister had left early, leaving breakfast on the table and a message on his phone.
"Visiting a friend''s house, will be back soon, don''t wander off."The way she put it, it felt like he was being treated as a pet.
But Qin Nuo understood his sister well.
She was a protective sister to the core.
Ever since their parents disappeared, she had taken on the role of a mother, meticulously arranging everything in Qin Nuo''s academic and personal life.
Tossing his phone aside, Qin Nuo started eating breakfast, but halfway through, there was a sudden knock on the door.
"Who is it?"
Qin Nuo asked, biting into a fried dough stick as he went to open the door.
Outside stood two men in suits, wearing sunsses, dressed like ck-clothed individuals, as if afraid people wouldn''t know they were special.
"Who are you looking for?"
"Are you Qin Nuo?"
Qin Nuo paused before replying, "What''s the matter?"
"Do you have time now? Come with us," one of them said expressionlessly.
"I''m a bit busy now, still having breakfast."
"Besides, I don''t go with strangers, and you don''t look like police."
Qin Nuo returned to the table, continuing his breakfast with a calm demeanor.
Internally, however, he was filled with suspicion.
Could it be that his identity as the Phantom had been discovered?
The two men nced inside and asked, "Are you alone? Can wee in?"
"Not really, my floor is very clean, and I don''t want it dirtied," Qin Nuo said while sipping his porridge.
The two men in suits: "..."
"You don''t have to worry, we''re not bad people, we''re also part of the police, and we''re here to exin some things to you," one of them exined, seeing Qin Nuo''s resistance.
"Exin some things?"
They entered, cing their IDs on the table, and said, "Come with us and you''ll find out. Your ssmates are almost all there."
Qin Nuo thought for a moment and nodded.
With the Blood-Eyed Ghost around, he wasn''t worried about danger.
After all, this wasn''t the Horror World, and dealing with two ordinary adults was more than manageable.
About twenty minutester.
A jeep stopped in front of a building, and Qin Nuo got out, following the two men inside.
In the hallway, people dressed as officers came and went, which reassured Qin Nuo a bit.
The Blood-Eyed Ghost muttered, "There''s a familiar scent."
"What?" Qin Nuo asked.
"Same kind."
Qin Nuo''s expression changed slightly, but he said nothing and continued walking.
Soon, they arrived at a meeting room.
Tang Ming, Liu Jiaqi, and other familiar ssmates were all present.
"Old Qin, you''re finally here, we were just waiting for you!" Tang Ming had saved a seat for Qin Nuo.
"I don''t quite understand the situation," Qin Nuo said as he sat down.
What did they want by gathering all the ssmates who were forcibly sent into the Horror Game for the first time?
"Don''t worry, it''s just to exin some things."
"You look so tense, like you''ve done something guilty!" Tang Ming joked.
"Qin Nuo, how have you been these past few days?" Liu Jiaqi asked.
She was sitting behind Qin Nuo, having saved a seat for him, but as soon as Qin Nuo came in, Tang Ming pulled him over.
Qin Nuo knew she was referring to the Horror Game and shrugged, "Pretty good."
"You have a good mindset. Every time I close my eyes, I dream of those days at the Nether Springs Restaurant, waking up in the middle of the night," Liu Jiaqi muttered.
Besides Liu Jiaqi, the other ssmates were the same, some with dark circles under their eyes, some looking haggard, some appearing overindulgent...
Clearly, the Horror Game had be an indelible shadow in their lives.
At that moment, the door opened, and a man with sses walked in.
"Hello, ssmates, let me introduce myself. I''m Ye Ming. You don''t need to guess my identity. For the time being, consider me your substitute teacher."
"Substitute for what?" Xiao Yuexin and others were puzzled.
"Substitute for some things about the Horror Game," Ye Ming said with a slight smile.
As soon as they heard those four words, all the ssmates shrank back.
One student immediately stood up and said, "No need, I won''t have anything to do with that for the rest of my life."
"If this is what you''re here for, then goodbye, I need to go back!" Several ssmates stood up, ready to leave.
"I understand that you don''t want to hear about the Horror Game again."
"But wanting to never have anything to do with it again, that''s not something you can choose," Ye Ming said.
"What do you mean?"
"Wasn''t there only one forced entry?"
Hearing this, many ssmates became uneasy.
Qin Nuo, however, remained calm.
He already knew what wasing next.
"Being forced into the Horror Game at eighteen is inevitable."
"But that doesn''t mean it''s over. It just changes from inevitable to asional, or rather, unfortunate."
"ording to our statistics starting this year, about 300 to 400 people each month in Dragon Country will have a strange totem appear on them."
"The appearance of a totem is a warning, indicating that in 5 to 10 days, or even longer, they will be sent into the Horror Game."
"We call this totem the Horror Curse."
"In other words, you may still be sent into the Horror Game again!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the meeting room erupted into chaos.
Fear was evident on the faces of all the ssmates.
"Old Qin, did you hear that? We might go back! It''s terrifying!" Tang Ming grabbed Qin Nuo''s arm.
"I heard, it''s terrifying," Qin Nuo said, nonchntly picking his ear.
Seeing the students'' reactions, a satisfied look appeared in Ye Ming''s eyes as he continued.
"Of course, you don''t have to be as scared as the first time."
"When the Horror Curse appears, there''s a preparation period, giving the country a chance to intervene."
With that, Ye Ming took out a device the size of a pocket watch and said, "A recer."
"It can transfer the curse from your body. If the Horror Curse appears on you, using the recer, you can have someone else enter the Horror Game in your ce."
"Each city has a dedicated team of yers to rece those cursed, specifically to solve this predicament."
Ye Ming said with a smile.
Hearing this, many people showed expressions of joy.
The country really is reliable!
"And the cost is reasonable, varying based on individual economic situations."
The ssmates were stunned.
"This... isn''t it free?"
Ye Ming chuckled.
"ssmates, this is a life-risking job. If it were free, who would willingly risk their lives for strangers?"
"The establishment of a mechanism to rece entry into the Horror Game by the country is already not easy. It''s impossible to take care of everyone..."
"Of course, you can also choose to enter yourself."
"After all, with the protection mechanism, the mortality rate is greatly reduced. However, if you fail the instance, the Horror Curse will remain!"
"You mustplete a set of instances to erase the curse!"
Ye Ming said with a smile, "I''m just exining this to prepare you mentally, as a precaution."
"If you are truly cursed, how you choose is up to you."
"You only have one life, and money is endless. I''m sure you all understand."
With that, Ye Ming had his assistant distribute a stack of cards to everyone.
"This is our team, a team fighting against the Horror Game."
"If one day, a strange totem appears on you, I hope you can call this number."
"You can also face the challenge yourself, but expertise is needed, and it should be handled by professionals."
"No one wants to gamble with their life, right?"
Qin Nuo rolled his eyes.
He finally understood.
After all that talk, this was a sales pitch!
Chapter 59: Hunting relationships, unable to control oneself!
The students exchanged nces and then silently put away the cards.
Ye Ming showed a satisfied smile and continued, "To enter the Horror Game under the protection mechanism, you not only need to verify your identity but also register a game alias."
As he spoke, he pulled down a screen.
On it, a list of names was disyed.
"These are the recent rankings of yers from Jinzhou in the Horror Game''s instance performance leaderboard."
"You can all take a look."
Everyone''s eyes turned to the screen, and soon, a buzz of discussion arose.
"The top-ranked ''Ghost yer'' in Jinzhou lives up to his name, being a bane to ghosts. He navigates the Horror Game with ease, as if it''s child''s y."
"He haspleted 15 instances, including two B-level, three C-level, and the rest below D-level, with a yer level of 20.""Ranked second is ''Dizang,'' who haspleted 13 instances, including one B-level, two C-level, and the rest below D-level, with a yer level of 17."
"Ranked third..."
Qin Nuo yawned, checked the time, and thought he had heard enough of the nonsense. His sister might already be home by now.
Just as he was about to get up and leave, he unexpectedly saw a familiar name on the leaderboard.
"Ranked tenth, yer ''Phantom.'' Although ranked tenth, his strength is even more unfathomable than the top-ranked Ghost yer."
"His yer level is only 2, and online records show he haspleted only one D-level instance."
"But he has an unparalleled record, achieving a score of 16.0 in that instance!"
"A 16.0 score might not mean much to everyone, so let me put it simply: it has never appeared in Jinzhou before."
"And in the Dragon Country, fewer than ten people have reached this score!"
Upon hearing this, everyone''s eyes were astonished as they focused on the name Phantom.
Ye Ming''s eyes also gleamed with intense interest.
Many teams are now discussing this Phantom.
They all want to uncover his true identity and recruit him.
Even the Ghost yer, despite giving his all in a D-level instance, never achieved a 16.0 score.
This shows how mysterious Phantom is!
Recruiting him would be like acquiring unimaginable wealth!
Qin Nuo didn''t know whether to feel happy or speechless.
Just because of a 16.0 score, he ended up on the list.
"I hope this list won''t attract too much attention."
"But even if it does, who would know it''s me?"
With this thought, Qin Nuo stood up and said, "Teacher, if there''s nothing important, I''ll head back first."
Ye Ming replied, "What I''m talking about now is important."
"Is that so? But to my ears, it''s just a bunch of nonsense some capitalists deliberately say for marketing."
Qin Nuo''s casual words made Ye Ming frown, his gaze gradually turning sharp.
Qin Nuo ignored him and walked straight out the door.
"Hey, Qin, wait for me!" Tang Ming quickly followed.
With someone leading the way, the other students also got up, greeted Ye Ming, and left one after another.
Despite Ye Ming''s lengthy speech, the students instinctively remained content with their current situation.
As for the horror curse or whatever, it''s a matter of probability. If they were truly unlucky enough to encounter it, they''d figure out a solution then.
After the students left, Ye Ming put away the sharpness in his eyes.
No matter.
His goal had been achieved.
As he organized the files on the desk, his face suddenly twitched.
Then, his right cheek tore open, revealing a dead fish-like eye.
"I told you not toe out randomly, didn''t I?"
"Even in the real world, if Half-Ghosts meet, a hunt will ur. Are you trying to get me killed?"
Ye Ming said coldly.
"I sensed the presence of my kind." The hoarse voice was filled with intense greed.
Ye Ming was taken aback, then his expression changed.
"Are you saying there''s a Half-Ghost among those students?"
"And it''s injured, so I can devour it."
The voice inside him trembled, like an addict, frantically saying, "Can you kill all those students? It''s definitely among them!"
"If too many die, I''ll be in big trouble!" Ye Ming replied coldly.
"Find it! Find it! I''m starving!!" The ghost inside him ignored him, its desires fully aroused, frantically urging.
Ye Ming pondered for a moment and said, "Don''t worry, it can''t escape. I have a way to find that little ghost hiding the ghost."
As he spoke, his tongue, like a snake''s, licked his lips, and his eyes shone with a sharp, snake-like gleam.
...
Meanwhile.
Qin Nuo boarded the bus.
The Blood-Eyed Ghost suddenly spoke, "I felt very ufortable in that ce just now."
"You mean your kind?" Qin Nuo asked.
"I sensed it, and it sensed me," the Blood-Eyed Ghost replied.
"So what? When you meet in the real world, shouldn''t you feel a sense of camaraderie like fellow countrymen abroad?" Qin Nuo joked.
"Or did it eat you?"
The Blood-Eyed Ghost fell silent.
Qin Nuo''s smile suddenly disappeared. "No way?"
"Half-Ghosts are naturally in a hunting rtionship."
"Half-Ghosts are a special existence, between humans and ghosts. If two Half-Ghosts hunt each other, they can gain significant benefits and greatly enhance their strength," the Blood-Eyed Ghost exined.
"You better be careful. It definitely won''t let it go."
"You can''t beat it?" Qin Nuo asked.
"It saw that I was injured, so it dared to target me."
In other words, it couldn''t win.
Qin Nuo frowned.
This was a bit troublesome.
In the real world, he couldn''t use any skills or ghost creatures; his only reliance was the Blood-Eyed Ghost.
"But if I open the third eye, it would be my dessert," the Blood-Eyed Ghost added.
"How can you elerate your recovery?" Qin Nuo asked directly.
"Food."
"Meat of Taisui?"
"That stuff is just tasty, it can''t restore power!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
After a pause, it continued, "Find ingredients simr to Ingredient No. 8, but not as terrifying, I can''t absorb it."
"That restaurant you went to before definitely has the ingredients I want," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
Qin Nuo looked out the window, then withdrew his gaze after a moment. "Got it, I''ll get it for you as soon as possible."
Originally, Qin Nuo didn''t want to enter the Horror World so soon.
But now it seemed he had no choice.
He thought that throwing out the Phantom identity would confuse everyone and avoid many troubles.
But the reality was, besides the Horror World, the real world also had various dangers.
In fact, these Half-Ghosts might be even more dangerous than the ghosts in the Horror World!
Being cautious is never wrong.
Sometimes, a seemingly insignificant hidden danger could push you to the brink.
Moreover, if they came looking, his sister would also be in danger...
Chapter 60 – Wang Xun’s gift, third instance!
Chapter 60 ¨C Wang Xun¡¯s gift, third instance!
When Qin Nuo returned home, his sister was already back.
Wang Xun was there too.
"You brat, didn''t I tell you not to wander around?"
Qin Yushi grabbed Qin Nuo''s ear and red at him.
"I''m not a kid," Qin Nuo said, brushing off her hand, feeling a bit speechless.
He thought to himself that his sister was overreacting; he''s an adult, not someone who could just be abducted.
"Neers forcibly sent into the horror game often develop severe psychological issues, sometimes without even realizing it themselves."
"The confusion between the real world and the horror world can lead to chaotic thoughts. In Jinzhou, more than ten people havemitted suicide by jumping off buildings after participating in the horror game."
"Moreover, you''ve participated in the horror game twice in a row."
"Your sister is worried you might not be able to handle it. You''re still in the observation period, understand?" Wang Xun, sitting in the living room, put down her teacup and said.
For the past two hours, Qin Yushi had been calling non-stop, nearly driving herself crazy with worry.
Qin Nuo suddenly understood and briefly exined how someone iming to be a police officer had taken him away.
Qin Yushi looked at Wang Xun in confusion, and thetter nodded, "Yes, that''s indeed the case."
"Neers who havepleted the horror game not only need psychological counseling but also need to understand the horror curse and prepare in advance."
"Sister Xun, do you know someone named Ye Ming?" Qin Nuo asked, thinking of something.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Hearing the name, Wang Xun frowned slightly, seemingly unimpressed by the person. "I know him."
"He''s also a police officer, but he''s shady, often mingling with those private gaming organizations."
Then, Wang Xun thought of something and warned, "This person is not simple. It''s best if you don''t get involved with him."
Qin Nuo nodded thoughtfully and then smiled, "Sister Xun, you didn''t juste here to tell me this, did you?"
He could tell that Wang Xun was here for him, not his sister.
Otherwise, she wouldn''t have been sitting on the sofa drinking tea all this time.
Wang Xun took out a device and ced it on the table.
The device resembled a pocket watch but had a fingerprint panel on it.
"This is called a login device. From the name, you can guess what it is. It''s the only medium that allows travel between the horror game and the real world. In the news, those yers who enter instances at will do so through this. Once your fingerprint is recorded, the protection mechanism activates, sending the yer into the game."
Qin Nuo was taken aback, "You want to give this to me?"
"You reckless boy, to be honest, I don''t want to give it to you."
"But it''s a national regtion. Those forcibly sent into the horror game must have one."
"The horror curse presents many uncertainties, and the country can''t look after everyone. So, the login device is your safeguard. At least under the protection mechanism, entering an instance greatly reduces the mortality rate," Wang Xun exined.
"That''s quite humane," Qin Nuo said with a smile as he took it in his hand.
Seeing his nonchnt demeanor, Wang Xun was a bit displeased. "You don''t seem to understand. This isn''t a toy; it''s for survival."
"Don''t think you can be like those online yers, entering instances at will to earn rewards and profit."
"That''s a foolish idea, especially for a neer like you!"
Qin Nuo smiled slightly, "Don''t worry."
"After participating in two horror games, my courage is nearly gone. If it weren''t for a pro carrying me, I''d be done for."
"Unless I lose my mind, why would I willingly enter such a terrifying game?"
Blood-Eyed Ghost: "No need to insult yourself like that."
Wang Xun agreed.
After all, the second time, Qin Nuo entered to save his sister out of urgency.
Without special reasons, no one would want to touch this thing.
Those professional yers are specially trained, with strong hearts and rich experience in instances, making it their livelihood.
In Wang Xun''s eyes, Qin Nuo was far from reaching that level.
"Little Xun, don''t worry. I know my brother best; he won''t act recklessly," Qin Yushi added.
Wang Xun nodded, picked up her bag, and stood up, "If there''s nothing else, I''ll head back. There''s still some work at the bureau."
After Wang Xun left, Qin Yushi extended her hand to Qin Nuo, "Give it to me."
Qin Nuo was embarrassed, "Sis, you still don''t trust me?"
"I''m going back to school in a couple of days. It''s because I know you too well that I''m worried."
Qin Nuo said, "What if I need it someday?"
Qin Yushi thought for a moment and said, "I''ll hide it somewhere in the house. If you need it, call me, and I''ll tell you where it is."
Qin Nuo sighed, "Alright, here you go."
Qin Nuo handed over the login device with his right hand before giving it to Qin Yushi.
Qin Yushi took it and smiled slightly, "I''m doing this for your own good."
"Get ready to go grocery shopping with me. Pick whatever you want to eat. Once I go back to school, who knows when I''ll see my good brother again!" Qin Yushi said, patting Qin Nuo''s head with a smile.
The next day, Qin Yushi dragged her suitcase back to school, with Qin Nuo apanying her to the roadside.
"Make sure to eat well and don''t stay upte!"
Qin Yushi waved to Qin Nuo before getting into a taxi.
As Qin Nuo disappeared at the end of the road, Qin Yushi sat back in her seat, her smile fading, and took out her phone to dial a number.
"Hello, it''s me."
"His symptoms are getting worse. The non-existent memories of his parents have deeply rooted in his mind, and you must find a way..."
...
At that moment, Qin Nuo returned home.
Throwing his coat aside, Qin Nuo asked the Blood-Eyed Ghost, "Where did my sister hide it?"
The reason he handed it over with his right hand was to let the Blood-Eyed Ghost''s ghost aura stick to it, so no matter where it was hidden, the Blood-Eyed Ghost could find it.
"In her room."
Soon, Qin Nuo found the login device hidden in a secretpartment under the floorboard of Qin Yushi''s bedside table.
"This is too much."
"Even thieves wouldn''t go this far!" Qin Nuo thought, exasperated.
cing the login device on the table, Qin Nuo began to prepare.
This time entering the game,pleting the instance was secondary.
The main goal was to visit the Nether Springs Restaurant and upgrade his yer level to 3.
Unlock the position of [Deputy Manager]!
Qin Nuo couldn''t bear to leave the horror world''s business unattended.
After all, he had worked hard to build it, and it would be a shame to let it go to waste.
Moreover, Qin Nuo believed that these businesses in the horror world would greatly aid him in future instances.
"I wonder what this instance will be like?"
"With a yer level of 2, it shouldn''t be too difficult. Hopefully, it won''t have a frustrating game mechanism like the ''Escape Mode''st time."
Qin Nuo murmured to himself.
Without further ado, he pressed his thumb onto the login device.
The panel lit up, as if activated, with variousponents whirring and a blue light shimmering.
"Fingerprint recording in progress..."
"Fingerprint recorded sessfully, yer preparing to log in..."
As the words fell, Qin Nuo instantly vanished from the room.
After Qin Nuo disappeared, the phone in the living room suddenly rang. It was Tang Ming calling, and it rang for a long time, seemingly with something urgent...
At the same time.
In a studio somewhere in Jinzhou City.
Everyone suddenly became excited, running around in a flurry.
A man shouted loudly, "Attention everyone! We''ve detected a yer phantom logging into the game!"
"Everyone, log in at the same time as him, enter the instance, and if anyone matches into the same instance as him, follow the n!"
"Did you hear me?"
"Yes!!"
The prepared yers responded in unison, then pressed their thumbs onto their login devices to record their fingerprints.
In an instant, over fifty people in the room vanished, leaving only a few...
Chapter 61 – Psychiatric hospital, nightmarish darkness!
Chapter 61 ¨C Psychiatric hospital, nightmarish darkness!
When Qin Nuo opened his eyes, he found himself once again in the familiar void space.
"Wee back, yer ''Phantom'', to the game."
"This time, the game instance is called¡ªSaint Yasi Asylum!"
"Number of yers: 20."
"Game duration: 15 days."
"yers will enter the asylum as caretakers, tending to clinical patients, and triggering instance tasks randomly based on patients'' requests."
"Note: Since they are psychiatric patients, they might be a bit mischievous. Caretakers can tolerate them or administer punishment within the allowed range to make them behave."
"Of course, if you anger some ill-tempered or violent patients, you might be the one in trouble."
"Note: During work hours, there will be random leadership supervision. Remember not to ck off~ If caught beingzy, it might not just be a pay cut, but also some unexpected punishments!"
"Main task: Investigate the true cause of death of all employees in Saint Yasi Asylum and uncover the mastermind behind it!" (Clues can be randomly obtained bypleting instance tasks.)
"Instance mode: Nightmares!"
"Mode details: Daytime is work time, but at night, don''t wander around. Stay in your room obediently."
"When night falls, many old acquaintances will appear in the hospital, hunting yers. Candlelight is the only thing that can save you!"
"Note: Candles can be obtained from the supervisor based on daily work performance."
"Protection Mechanism: yers can obtain a ''Get Out of Jail Free'' card. Upon death, they can exit the instance, be evaluated as failed, and continue the game."
"Instancepletion: Survive for 15 days until the instance ends, orplete the main task early to end the instance!"
"A nightmare mode has been added."
Qin Nuo frowned.
No matter how he looked at it, the difficulty of this instance seemed unmatched with his level.
"Could it be that my high rating in thest instance allowed for an increase in difficulty?"
"Or did they detect me cheating?" Qin Nuo wondered.
Was that considered cheating?
Not really, at most, it was just a protagonist''s halo...
"This main task is somewhat simr to thest one, but it seems to be more difficult."
Taking care of psychiatric patients?
Don''t kid me, even looking after a child makes Qin Nuo want to strangle them!
Moreover, these psychiatric patients aren''t even human...
"Please confirm, yer, before entering the game instance!"
Qin Nuo didn''t rush in. He remembered he still had a golden treasure chest unopened and a Qingyin Stone yet to be fused.
At least be fully prepared before going in.
Qin Nuo first took out the Qingyin Stone, pondering.
Currently, he had three metal-type ghost creatures.
Bone-Crushing Hammer, Butcher''s Chainsaw, and Mountain-Cleaving Knife, which one to choose?
In the end, Qin Nuo chose the Bone-Crushing Hammer for two reasons.
One, enhancing the Bone-Crushing Hammer would surely make the bone nails even more terrifying.
Two, it felt just right in his hand!
Swinging a hammer at ghosts, that feeling was just nice!
"The host uses the item Qingyin Stone to fuse with the ghost creature Bone-Crushing Hammer. Fusion in progress, estimated time 6-8 hours."
After putting away the fusion panel, Qin Nuo opened the information panel and unlocked the golden treasure chest.
"Congrattions to the host for opening the golden treasure chest and obtaining items [Thorn Goddess''s Whip], [Dr. ck Jack''s Medical Kit], [Thunder King¡¯s White Gloves]!"
Qin Nuo''s mouth twitched.
Goodness, is this whates out of a golden treasure chest?
Why does it feel so shy?
Moreover, these three items seem to have some inexplicable connection with this instance!
This made Qin Nuo suspect if the system was manipting things behind the scenes.
"A medical kit, will I need this? Shouldn''t the asylum provide it?"
Qin Nuo muttered as he opened the medical kit.
"Cold medicine ¡Á10, disinfectant gauze ¡Á10, sedatives ¡Á10, emergency serum ¡Á10..."
A dazzling array of medical supplies left Qin Nuo a bit puzzled.
Are these for the psychiatric patients?
Or for me?
The point is, aren''t these things justmon street drugs?
Suddenly, Qin Nuo felt he had been tricked.
A golden treasure chest.
Is this it?
"Please confirm if you wish to enter the instance!"
The game voice reminded again.
Qin Nuo packed up all these misceneous items and then clicked confirm.
"Let''s begin!"
As the words fell, Qin Nuo''s entire body felt like it was being sucked into a storm, and his vision blurred.
Boom!!
The next second, Qin Nuo found himself in a long corridor.
Looking ahead, it was filled with rows of wards, and from outside the windows, a dim light seeped in.
Judging by the time, it should be around noon.
The architectural style of Saint Yasi Asylum leaned towards Western European, with paintings on the walls depicting Western scenes and some religious-like totems.
"The other yers should be in by now, right?"
"There are 20 yers this time. Maybe there''s a pro among them who canplete the main task quickly, ending the instance early, saving me time, and letting me enjoy being carried."
Qin Nuo muttered to himself as he walked down the corridor.
The wards were pitch ck inside, with iron doors giving a prison-like feel.
Moreover, each door not only had four or five locks but was also bound with two thick iron chains!
"Are the patients inside or monsters, needing such confinement?"
Additionally, each door had arge warning sign posted on it.
"Danger, do not approach!"
This was a clear warning.
"Speaking of which, I haven''t seen a single person or ghost yet. Without an instance NPC, how do I know which area of patients I''m responsible for?"
Bang!!
Suddenly, a loud noise interrupted Qin Nuo''s thoughts.
It came from thest iron door he passed.
Qin Nuo turned his head and saw a pair of bloodshot eyes staring straight at him through the door window.
Even though he felt a chill from being stared at, Qin Nuo politely responded, "Hello, I''m the new caretaker. Could you tell me how to get to the director''s office?"
The patient behind the iron door didn''t respond.
In the darkness, another eye appeared, then a fourth, a fifth...n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
Qin Nuo''s eye twitched.
His intuition told him these weren''t the eyes of several people; they were all from one person...
"You should have seen the warning sign on the wall, don''t get close to the wards."
A voice suddenly came from behind.
Qin Nuo turned around to find a woman in a white nun''s robe silently standing behind him, arge cross hanging on her chest.
Qin Nuo said, "I just thought he seemed to need something."
Looking at the nun''s attire, Qin Nuo roughly guessed her identity, the supervisor.
The nun said nothing, turned to leave, and left a sentence, "Follow me to get your caretaker uniform."
Qin Nuo followed her, ncing back at the iron door.
Behind the door, those eyes disappeared one by one, seemingly wary of the nun...
Chapter 62 – Taking care of the patient, Mute Sister!
Chapter 62 ¨C Taking care of the patient, Mute Sister!
In a dimly lit secret room, Qin Nuo received his caretaker uniform.
Surprisingly, this time the uniform was clean, without bloodstains or any unpleasant stench of decay.
A nun handed a stack of documents and a key to Qin Nuo.
"The west wing on the third floor is your responsibility."
"These are all the files of the patients you''re in charge of, as well as the basic daily tasks of caring for them. The number on the key is your room number."
"Try to avoid conflicts with the patients. Within reasonable limits, fulfill your duties. If the demands are excessive, you can appropriately discipline the patients to make them morepliant."
"For example, if they talk too much, you can cut out their tongue. If they stare too much, you can gouge out their eyes. It''s all within the permissible range."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Goodness, is this what they call appropriate discipline?
It''s a good thing the patients don''t have any rtives, otherwise, this mental hospital would have been torn down!
Qin Nuo nodded, "Understood."
"Six o''clock sharp is the end of your shift. Collect your wages at the front desk."
"The incense sticks will be distributed based on your work performance."
"Are these incense sticks important?" Qin Nuo asked.
The incense sticks are rted to the nightmares of the night. What happens when night falls?
The nun did not answer, simply turned around and left, as if she wouldn''t reveal anything beyond the caretaker instructions.
After the nun left, Qin Nuo tidied up his attire and murmured, "Forget it, let''s take it step by step."
"First, let''s get the job at hand done."
With that, Qin Nuo headed towards the third floor.
The mental hospital appeared evenrger than Qin Nuo had imagined, eerie and deste, with not a soul in sight for quite a while.
Upon reaching the third-floor corridor, he saw a figure pushing a food cart slowly approaching from a distance.
On the cart were various sticky liquid foods and syringes, obviously prepared for patients who couldn''t care for themselves.
"Caregiver."
When Qin Nuo got a clear look at the person''s face, he knew who they were.
A yer!
The person also saw Qin Nuo, with a slight sneer on their face, "A level two newbie? Hope youst a bit longer."
With that, they pushed the cart and left.
Qin Nuo touched his nose, didn''t say much, and arrived at the corridor of the west wing.
In the west wing, there were only three psychiatric wards, but they were allrge rooms, each with six beds.
Qin Nuo hesitated for a moment and first pushed open the door to room 301.
Inside the room, there were five patients and one empty bed.
Three males and two females, none of them very old, the oldest being 23 and the youngest only 15.
Qin Nuo held the documents and checked the information of each patient in room 301.
A pair of twins were sitting on the floor, staring intently at the television, seemingly engrossed.
But the TV only showed static.
A girl with disheveled hair was sitting on the bed, sewing a torn doll with needle and thread.
Another girl was hugging Qin Nuo''s leg, looking up and staring at him intently.
The girl''s pupils were veryrge, almost upying the entire white of her eyes, making her look very eerie.
"Brother, who are you?"
"I''m the new person here to take care of you." Qin Nuo smiled as he picked the girl up and tossed her onto the bed.
Perhaps he used too much force, as the girl''s head hit the wall hard, and it seemed like he heard something crack.
It''s not Qin Nuo''s fault for using force; the girl''s nails were extremely sharp, like knives, about to pierce through his calf.
The girl didn''t cry or get angry; instead, she pped her hands vigorously and cheered happily, "Yay! Yay! Yay! There''s a new caregiver!"
"Thest brother was so boring. He went to the next room and was taken out piece by piece by the nun, didn''t get to y with Xiao Yue for long!"
The girl''s words made Qin Nuo''s scalp tingle.
Taken out piece by piece? What kind of operation is that?
Qin Nuo looked at the back of the girl''s head and found arge dent, but no blood was flowing out.
Just one bump and it''s like this.
Is this girl a porcin doll?
"Quiet down, you''re so noisy! If you keep it up, we''ll stuff you into the toilet!"
The twins watching TV suddenly turned around, ring fiercely at Xiao Yue.
Xiao Yue wasn''t afraid, grinning foolishly, "Hee hee hee, Mute Sister will hang you on the clothesline!"
The twins were furious, their faces twisted.
But when their gaze shifted to the girl on the bed, their faces showed fear, and they suppressed their anger, continuing to watch TV.
Clearly, that girl was Mute Sister.
"Four are in the room, where''s the other one?" Qin Nuo walked to the balcony outside the room and saw a white-haired boy hanging from the ceiling in the bathroom.
Yes, he was indeed hanging.
His feet were embedded in the reinforced concrete, hanging like arge spider, with drool dripping down as he stared at Qin Nuo with a silly grin.
"Not a single normal one," Qin Nuo felt exhausted.
This mental hospital was even crazier than a regr mental hospital!
"Look at the time, it''s lunchtime. Why don''t youe down and tell me what you''d like to eat?"
Qin Nuo tried tomunicate with the boy.
The white-haired boy didn''t respond, his throat moved, and he spat at Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo sidestepped, avoiding the spit, whichnded on the door frame, emitting a foul odor.
"Be good, listen," Qin Nuo suppressed his inner impulse, forcing a smile, coaxing like he would a child.
"Idiot, who wants to listen to you? If you have the guts, get me down!"
The white-haired boy sneered, shaking his body while stuck in the concrete.
Qin Nuo sighed helplessly, "Alright then."
With that, Qin Nuo suddenly leaped up, grabbing the boy''s neck with his right hand and yanking hard. With a loud crash, the ceiling broke open, leaving a big hole.
The white-haired boy''s head was mmed onto the floor by Qin Nuo!
Unexpectedly, the boy''s head was quite hard; the floor cracked, but he was unharmed.
He looked at Qin Nuo, somewhat bewildered.
Then, he saw a blood-red eye on Qin Nuo''s right hand, and a trace of fear shed in the white-haired boy''s eyes.
Qin Nuo bent down, smiling, and asked, "Can you eat obediently now?"
The white-haired boy nodded, somewhat panicked.
Qin Nuo picked up the white-haired boy and threw him onto the bed, looking at everyone, and cleared his throat, "Alright, it''s mealtime now. What would you like to eat?"
"I''ll see if I can arrange it."
No one responded.
Qin Nuo sighed and raised his voice.
"Shut up! You''re so noisy!"
"Can''t you see we''re watching TV? If you keep talking, we''ll tear your tongue out!!"
The twins were clearly very irritable, ring at Qin Nuo, baring their teeth as if they wanted to swallow him whole.
But Qin Nuo hadpleted two instances.
The fierce ghosts like the Ghost Seller and the Wall Ghost had all been subdued by him.
How could he be intimidated by two little ghosts?
With a click, Qin Nuo unplugged the power, turning off the TV.
"Go sit on the bed," Qin Nuo said.
The twins raised their heads, staring at Qin Nuo, their eyes turning blood red, exuding a murderous aura.
"Only giving you one chance, turn the TV back on!"
Bang!!
Qin Nuo punched through the TV, sparks and arcs of electricity crackling.
He continued calmly, "Go to the bed!"
Seeing the TV destroyed, the twins screamed in agony, their most beloved possession ruined, and they howled hysterically in rage.
They were about to pounce on Qin Nuo and tear him apart.
But in the next second, they sensed something, suddenly calmed down, and obediently went to sit on the bed, like well-behaved children.
Qin Nuo was puzzled.
The girl known as Mute Sister walked up to Qin Nuo with the sewn doll, gesturing in signnguage to express something.
Qin Nuo was utterly confused.
I don''t know signnguage!
Chapter 63: Candy Task, Horror Takeout!
"Sorry, I can''t understand," Qin Nuo shook his head.
At the same time, he nced at the twins by the bed.
From their eyes, it was clear they were very afraid of this mute girl.
The mute girl was the oldest, likely the leader of room 303.
"Mute Sister says our food is always liquid meals, no options for dishes," Xiao Yue suddenly spoke up.
Then, she added, "Those things taste awful, every time I almost throw up."
"But the Nun says everyone has to finish their meals, and if anyone is caught leaving food, the consequences are severe."
Mentioning the Nun made everyone show expressions of fear.
The twins were even more terrified, clearly the Nun was much scarier than Mute Sister!"The nun in the white robe?" Qin Nuo was a bit puzzled. She didn''t seem that frightening, at least not enough to scare the Blood-Eyed Ghost.
Certainly not as much as Liu Meng''s parents!
Or were they afraid of something else about the white-robed nun?
Mute Sister began signing again.
Xiao Yue said, "Mute Sister says we''ve been eating liquid meals for a week, we haven''t had rainbow candy in ages, can you get us some?"
"Rainbow candy! Rainbow candy!" The twins suddenly shouted, their expressions excited, drooling with desire.
Even the white-haired boy was no exception.
"Ding, congrattions to the yer for triggering a D-level instance task: Get rainbow candy for the patients of room 303!"
The announcement piqued Qin Nuo''s interest, and he asked, "Do you get to eat this candy every week?"
"Yeah, as long as we behave or if the Nun is happy, we get it once a week, but we haven''t had any for two weeks, Xiao Yue is craving it so much she''s about to cry!" Xiao Yue said.
"So hungry, so hungry!" the twins shouted in unison.
Mute Sister continued to sign, then handed over the stitched-up doll.
"Mute Sister says, take the doll and get the rainbow candy."
Qin Nuo pushed the doll back, saying, "Supervising your diet and meeting your needs within reason is my responsibility, it''s what I should do."
Xiao Yue suddenly giggled and said, "Brother, if you don''t take the doll, you might regret it!"
Qin Nuo didn''t pay attention to this and walked to the door, saying, "Stay in the room, I''ll prepare lunch for you and get the candy you want."
With that, he closed the door.
In the hallway, Qin Nuo let out a long sigh.
"Rather than a mental hospital, it''s more like an orphanage, a bunch of difficult kids!"
Qin Nuo felt a bit puzzled.
Though they were supposed to be mental patients.
But these kids, except for a few who were a bit neurotic, seemed quite normal.
"A dangerous aura."
The Blood-Eyed Ghost suddenly spoke.
"Where?" Qin Nuo was startled, looking at the empty hallway on both sides.
"Room 302, be careful," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
Qin Nuo recalled Xiao Yue''s earlier words, the previous caretaker seemed to have met their end in room 302.
Clearly, the patients in 302 weren''t just difficult to handle!
"What about room 301?"
"Even more terrifying, the patients inside are on the same level as Liu Meng''s parents," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
Qin Nuo: "..."
Damn it, can this game even be yed happily?
Is this really a beginner''s instance?
Calming his inner frustration, Qin Nuo decided not to think too much. Since 302 and 301 were each more dangerous than thest, he''d deal with themter.
First, he would take care of the patients in room 303.
ording to the work schedule, lunch for the patients was to be picked up in the central hall on the first floor from twelve to twelve-thirty.
Only half an hour, if you miss the time, it''s gone.
The ones who suffer aren''t the patients, but the caretakers, who have to bear the patients'' wrath!
When Qin Nuo arrived at the first floor of the central area, he found he wasn''t the only one; several yers were already there collecting lunch for the patients.
They nced at Qin Nuo, seeing his level 2 experience bar, and showed disdain.
Except for one pair of eyes that shone with a fierce light upon seeing Qin Nuo!
Qin Nuo remained silent, picked up a tray from the pile, and stood at the back of the line.
Hmm, it had the vibe of a school cafeteria...
The line wasn''t long, only six or seven people.
The one distributing lunch wasn''t the typical cafeteriady, but a monster.
A real monster!
It looked like a giant tumor, covered in stitches, with faces sewn onto it, twisting and writhing.
There was anger, sorrow, sinister smiles...
"Lunch for room 401 in the west wing."
The yer named Blue Moon stepped forward, cing the tray on top.
He added, "They''re really hungry, could you give a bit more?"
"Those little brats, they offended mest time, and they want more food?"
The face of the multi-faced ghost let out a sinisterugh, a hand plunged into its body, pulling out a glob of brown goo, and flung it onto the tray.
The sight of the goo made Qin Nuo''s eye twitch.
"Is this the patients'' lunch? It''s not just about poor quality anymore."
"Damn it, who could stomach something pulled out of that ugly thing''s body?"
The yer named Blue Moon''s expression twitched, feeling nauseous, but seeing only one tray of food, his face turned grim.
This was a portion for one patient, and he had six patients!
"Is there no more?"
"Let them share it!" the multi-faced ghost continued to sneer.
"They''ll take their anger out on me!" Blue Moon said in a low voice.
"Not my problem, me those brats on the fourth floor for stealing a delicious woman''s arm from mest time!" the multi-faced ghost sneered.
Blue Moon wanted to say more, but the ghost''s cold face suddenly spoke, "Of course, we could think of a way to make sure there''s enough food."
"For example, making you into food, we''d be happy to help with that!"
Blue Moon''s face turned pale, and he could only carry the tray and leave in a hurry.
The next yer, named Ichigo, stepped up.
"Lunch for room 202 in the east wing," Ichigo said.
Fortunately, the multi-faced ghost didn''t make things difficult for him, and even seemed to have some goodwill, pulling out seven portions of liquid meals and two blood-streaked meatballs from its body, cing them on the tray.
"Make sure the patients in 202 eat well," the sad face said, crying as it spoke.
The yer Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief, secretly pleased, and as he picked up the tray, he suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh, the patients in 202 also want some rainbow candy, do you provide that?"
Qin Nuo''s eyebrows twitched from behind.
They also wanted rainbow candy.
Judging by his expression, he must have triggered the same instance task as I did!
The multi-faced ghost asked, "Did you bring the trade item?"
"Trade item? They didn''t mention that," the yer Ichigo was a bit confused.
Hearing this, the crying face stopped looking at him, turning to a sinister smiling face, and said in a sinister tone, "So they didn''t tell you, now I understand!"
The yer Ichigo''s eyelid twitched, suddenly sensing something was wrong.
He took a step back, pulling out a stack of ghost currency, "I can trade with this!"
"Ghost currency is useless here."
"Don''t you get it? They''ve made you the trade item!"
The yer Ichigo''s face changed dramatically, like a cat with its fur standing on end, he turned to run.
A dry, crackling hand suddenly grabbed his right arm!
Before he could resist, the entire arm was torn off, blood sttering on the hall floor!
The multi-faced ghost stuffed the arm into its tumor-like body.
Immediately, an arm grew out, bing part of the multi-faced ghost, unmistakably the yer Ichigo''s arm.
"Ah, this arm is quite nice!"
All the faces on the multi-faced ghost showed satisfied expressions.
Then, a few pieces of rainbow candy scattered onto the tray.
"Get lost, next!"
The yer Ichigo''s face was pale, gritting his teeth in anger, although there was no pain, losing an arm would have a huge impact on his progress in the instance over the next few days!
The yers behind all turned pale.
Especially Qin Nuo.
His face immediately turned grim.
Those little brats didn''t mention anything about this, were they trying to set me up?
Chapter 64: Blonde man, ruthless and speaks little!
After witnessing the gruesome fate of the previous yer, the next yer was visibly shaken.
Handing over the tray, he spoke nervously, "Ward 202, North District."
Fortunately, the Multi-Faced Ghost didn''t make things difficult, scooping out a pile of liquid food and pping it onto the tray.
Then, with a sinister smile, it asked, "Do you want some Rainbow Candy too?"
The yer, not caring whether lunch was sufficient or not, shook his head frantically and ran off with the tray.
"Next!"
Only two remained in line.
Qin Nuo and the blond man ahead of him.
"What do you n to do?" the Blood-Eyed Ghost asked.Qin Nuo replied, "Is this ghost strong?"
"Horror Level, a bit tricky," the Blood-Eyed Ghost answered.
"Let''s see how it goes. If it doesn''t work out, we''ll abandon this instance task," Qin Nuo said.
The blond man stepped forward, ced the tray at the window, and said, "Ward 203, South District."
The Multi-Faced Ghost thought for a moment, seemingly having no impression of the patient in that ward, and evenly distributed lunch onto the tray.
"My patient needs Rainbow Candy too," the blond man adjusted his sses and said.
"Oh, you want Rainbow Candy too, do you have anything to trade?"
Although the Multi-Faced Ghost said this, countless eyes were fixed on the blond man''s body, full of greed.
It was as if it was eyeing a chicken or duck on a chopping board, contemting which piece to cut off!
Thud!
A heart was thrown onto the table!
And it was full of vitality, still beating strongly.
"This is my trade item," the blond man said calmly.
The Multi-Faced Ghost was a bit surprised, grabbing the heart with one hand and stuffing it into its body.
Then, the faces on its body all showed satisfied expressions.
"Not bad, a good thing!"
tter!
Rainbow Candy scattered onto the tray.
The blond man picked one up, ced it in his mouth, and chewed lightly, saying, "Too little, that heart isn''t worth this price."
The Multi-Faced Ghost sneered, "Rat, you have no right to negotiate prices!"
The blond man remained calm, but immediately, his left cheek began to rapidly decay and dpose at a visible speed, and a sh of blood light shot out from his hollow left eye socket.
"Guess how I got that heart?" he said casually, making the Multi-Faced Ghost suddenly realize something.
The ghostly faces, when looking at the blond man again, suddenly showed a look of fear.
"tter!"
More Rainbow Candy continued to scatter onto the tray, even more than before!
The Multi-Faced Ghost said nothing, but its attitude was clear.
It was intimidated.
"Thank you."
The blond man smiled slightly, picked up the tray, and left. As he reached the door, he nced at Qin Nuo before leaving.
"Half-Ghost, and not contracted with a simple ghost!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
"Horror Level?" Qin Nuo asked.
"Not sure, but not far off," the Blood-Eyed Ghost replied.
Emperor.
That was the blond man''s game ID, Qin Nuo had just noticed.
The name was quite bold, suggesting his strength must be impressive.
Otherwise, without some strength, having such a name would easily get him beaten up!
"But why did he nce at me when he left?"
"Next!!"
The Multi-Faced Ghost''s angry shout interrupted Qin Nuo''s thoughts.
Having been humiliated like that, it was obviously very upset, full of pent-up anger.
Naturally, this anger would be directed at the next orderly!
Qin Nuo was speechless.
Just standing in line, and troublees from nowhere!
He stepped forward, ced the tray at the window, and said, "Ward 301, West District."
As soon as he finished speaking, a glob of sticky liquid food was pped onto the tray, and the Multi-Faced Ghost shouted violently, "Get lost!"
Qin Nuo didn''t move, calmly saying, "I have five patients."
The Blood-Eyed Ghost, knowing what was about to happen, excitedly said, "Time for a fight, plenty of Meat of Taisui!"
The Multi-Faced Ghost seemed insulted, turning its sneering face towards him, and said grimly, "You want to imitate thest guy and scare me?"
"Rat, if you''re brave enough, give it a try!"
Qin Nuo smiled, "Misunderstanding, I meant my patients also need Rainbow Candy."
"And then, I have a few trade items that I''m sure you''ll be satisfied with!"
"Let''s see them!" Upon hearing about trade items, the Multi-Faced Ghost''s fierce faces softened a bit.
Qin Nuo raised his right hand.
A few nails fell onto the table.
"Nails made from rat bones?"
The Multi-Faced Ghost immediately recognized the material of the nails, examined them, then spat disdainfully, "Worthless junk, take it away!"
Qin Nuo exined, "This thing''s value can only be proven when used."
"How to use it?" the Multi-Faced Ghost asked instinctively.
Qin Nuo didn''t respond. The next second, he suddenly grabbed a nail, and with his other hand, swung the Bone-Crushing Hammer he had prepared for a long time.
Bang!!
The hammer hit the nail, shooting out a ck arc of electricity.
In a sh, the bone nail shot into the Multi-Faced Ghost''s body like a bullet.
In an instant, the entire tumor-like body of the Multi-Faced Ghost wriggled madly, and the nine ghostly faces on it twisted in agony.
A piercing scream echoed in the hall!
"Do you feel its value now?" Qin Nuo asked with a smile.
"You want to die!!"
The Multi-Faced Ghost went berserk, crashing through the window and walls, and those terrifying ghost hands reached for Qin Nuo.
"Demon''s Eye: Received Rage Meter from Multi-Faced Ghost +100, rewarded Ghost Power +120!"
Qin Nuo swung his right hand, corpse spots appearing on his arm, and punched the Multi-Faced Ghost back to its original spot.
The bone nail frantically corroded inside, and one of the Multi-Faced Ghost''s faces melted away, then it spat out a heart.
The heart rolled on the ground, quickly decaying into a pile of rotten flesh as if life had been drained from it.
"So, is it valuable now?" Qin Nuo continued to ask.
The remaining faces of the Multi-Faced Ghost were still fierce, with undiminished killing intent and anger.
Without waiting for it to speak, Qin Nuo very straightforwardly rewarded it with another bone nail using the Bone-Crushing Hammer.
The terrifying torment made the Multi-Faced Ghost''s voice hoarse, and the angry, sneering ghost faces quickly melted away.
Then, two more hearts were spat out!
Looking at the Multi-Faced Ghost again, it was already weak and dispirited, with no fierceness left.
"Seems like you have many lives, huh?"
"Let''s see how many nails you can take?"
Saying this, Qin Nuo picked up the Bone-Crushing Hammer again, at this moment, looking like a demon in the eyes of the Multi-Faced Ghost.
The remaining faces of the Multi-Faced Ghost were so frightened that their souls seemed to leave them, desperately begging for mercy, "No! I can''t take it anymore, only a few lives left, stop ying!"
"You gave up so easily, I thought you''d hold out a bit longer!"
The Multi-Faced Ghost was both ashamed and angry, but mostly terrified, shrinking into a corner, not daring to make a sound.
It was wary of the blond man.
But Qin Nuo, it was truly afraid of. After just a few words, he suddenly used nails to stab the ghost, an unexpected move that left it bewildered!
"Big brother, can you take the nails out first? I''m going to die!" the Multi-Faced Ghost pleaded.
"Depends on how you behave."
The Multi-Faced Ghost, enduring the severe pain, spat out a pile of Rainbow Candy, packed it in a jar, and said tremblingly, "Is this enough?"
Qin Nuo said, "Your liquid food is too disgusting, my patients can''t eat it, change to something else."
The Multi-Faced Ghost hesitated, "This is arranged by the Nun, all patients eat this!"
Qin Nuo squinted and smiled, "Now follow my arrangement."
The Multi-Faced Ghost hesitated for a moment, took out a few sticks of sandalwood, ced them on the tray, and said with heartache, "These are my treasured reserves."
"Much appreciated." Qin Nuo put away the sticks of sandalwood.
Ghosts have peculiar tastes.
Some like to eat humans, some like human food, but sandalwood and red candles are generally liked by all, even considered treasures!
Qin Nuo looked at the fused Bone-Crushing Hammer, no, now it should be called the Bone-Splitting Hammer, the name after advancing a level.
"This fusion material is even more powerful than I thought, what level is the Bone-Splitting Hammer now?"
"Half-step Horror Level," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said, also a bit wary.
The Bone-Splitting Hammer also had a ck arc of electricity, such an enchanting effect could be considered quite terrifying!
After putting away the Bone-Splitting Hammer, Qin Nuo beckoned with his right hand, retrieving the two bone nails, picked up the tray, "Service was not bad, keep it up next time!"
With that, he walked away with the tray.
The Multi-Faced Ghost shrank into the corner.
Not knowing whether to feel relieved or angry.
That sorrowful ghost face began to wail...
Chapter 65: Mental illness, known as hell!
Qin Nuo returned to Room 303 with lunch in hand.
Inside the ward, with Mute Sister''s intimidating presence, the others behaved themselves.
The twin boys were staring at the sparking TV with resentment and anger in their eyes.
Suddenly, the door swung open.
Qin Nuo pushed the door open and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting, your lunch is here."
As soon as she heard it was time to eat, Xiao Yue''s eyes lit up and she rushed over.
The twins, however, maintained their pride, snorted coldly, and looked away, clearly still upset about the TV being smashed.
"Wow!! It''s sandalwood, how is there sandalwood here?" Xiao Yue picked up a stick of sandalwood, drooling.
"What, sandalwood?"The twins immediately turned their heads upon hearing this and ran over, drooling as well.
Mute Sister signed, asking how they got this.
"The ghost brother who prepared the meal heard it was for you guys in Room 303 and was so fond of you that he shared his beloved sandalwood," Qin Nuo said, rubbing his nose.
"Ghost brother is really a good ghost," Xiao Yue murmured.
"Stop talking and hurry up, we almost forgot what sandalwood tastes like!" The twins wiped the drool from their mouths, impatiently urging.
Mute Sister took a stick of sandalwood and stored it in the cab.
The little ghosts didn''t mind, as one stick was enough for them to share.
The white-haired boy named Bai Qu eagerly fetched a lighter and lit the sandalwood.
The white smoke of the sandalwood wafted through the air, and Xiao Yue and the others leaned in, taking deep breaths, showing satisfied expressions, licking their lips, and continuing to inhale.
Under the ghosts'' consumption, the sandalwood burned rapidly, gone in less than two minutes!
"Delicious," the twins said, rubbing their bellies and lying on the ground, looking intoxicated.
They looked at Qin Nuo and said, "We forgive you, but remember to get us a new TV."
"......"
"Is this stuff really that tasty?" Qin Nuo couldn''t help but mutter.
"It''s okay, not as fragrant as the Meat of Taisui."
"Ah, but I''ve almost forgotten what the Meat of Taisui tastes like, such a hard life!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost sighed.
Qin Nuo knew what it was thinking, but now wasn''t the time to talk about the Meat of Taisui.
"I brought back the Rainbow Candy you asked me to."
Qin Nuo said, taking out a jar of Rainbow Candy.
A whole kilogram of Rainbow Candy!
Xiao Yue and Bai Qu were dumbfounded.
They could only eat a few pieces, a few grams, a week, so when had they ever seen such a big jar?
Then Xiao Yue reacted, "Hey, wait, how can you..."
Qin Nuo squinted and smiled, "Yeah, I also want to ask, why didn''t anyone tell me about the trade item?"
Xiao Yue suddenly fell silent, looking guilty and avoiding Qin Nuo''s gaze.
Mute Sister signed.
Bai Qu said, "Back then, Mute Sister''s doll was the trade item for you."
"But Xiao Yue didn''t tell you everything Mute Sister said!"
Mute Sister gave Xiao Yue a reproachful look.
Xiao Yue hung her head lower, muttering, "I... couldn''t bear to see Mute Sister''s doll ruined."
Hearing this, Qin Nuo understood.
So that''s what it meant at the time.
"In that case, I''ll keep this jar of Rainbow Candy."
"How the candy is distributed in the future will depend on your behavior."
"For example, this time, your candy is gone." Qin Nuo nced at Xiao Yue and distributed the candy to the others.
Mute Sister also had some.
But she didn''t particrly like eating it.
Xiao Yue looked at her longingly, eyes full of desire.
Mute Sister hesitated for a moment but then put all the candy into her own mouth.
Xiao Yue''s expression became even more pitiful.
Mute Sister understood Qin Nuo''s intentions; it was indeed the only way to manage these four children.
The patients in Room 303 didn''t suffer from any mental illness.
Instead, they had a congenital metabolic disorder.
Their intelligence and mentality were stuck at the level of seven or eight-year-olds!
Bai Qu, the twins, and Xiao Yue all looked nearly adult, some possibly already adults.
But in reality, they would always be seven or eight-year-old children, with everything confined to a fixed area, unable to expand further.
Mute Sister was the only patient who had been treated and returned to normal.
So, she always yed the role of a mother to Xiao Yue and the others, managing and restraining them.
She knew very well.
If the patients lost control, the oue in Saint Yasi Asylum would be...
To her, Xiao Yue and the others were closer than family, despite having no blood rtion!
Qin Nuo''s educational approach was exactly what Mute Sister wanted.
"Angel''s Kiss: Received Favorability from Mute Sister +90, Reward: Ghost Creature¡ªErosion Ghost Gu ¡Á1!"
"Hmm?" Qin Nuo was bewildered.
How did he gain favorability from this mute girl?
He had been worried that treating Xiao Yue differently would provoke her, as the leader.
But the result was quite the opposite?
Who knows how much time passed.
The clock on the wall suddenly chimed.
Qin Nuo nced at the time; it was six in the afternoon, the end of the attendants'' shift.
"It''s time to go to the hall and settle today''s work rewards."
"Unless something unexpected happens, my performance shouldn''t be rated poorly."
Doing his job well should meet the standard.
Moreover, he hadpleted an instance task!
"Let''s stop here for today. Arrange your time responsibly."
"I''lle back tomorrow."
Qin Nuo stood up and said.
He had intended to visit the patients in Rooms 302 and 301, but time passed faster than he expected.
Mute Sister signed to Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo looked at Xiao Yue.
Xiao Yue turned her head, pouting, clearly still sulking.
Bai Qu tranted, "Mute Sister says, before you go to Room 302, be prepared."
"Room 301, those patients are strange, it''s best not to interact with them."
A kind reminder.
Qin Nuo looked at Mute Sister and said, "All the wards in my jurisdiction need to be attended to."
"Don''t worry, I''ll be careful."
Mute Sister continued to sign.
Bai Qu: "Also, quickly get the incense candles, it''s very important."
"Stay in your room at night, don''te out, or something terrible will happen!"
"Mute Sister wants you to remember, when it gets dark, keep the candles burning by your side."
"If they go out, no matter what happens in the room, don''t open your eyes!"
Mute Sister''s words made Qin Nuo''s hair stand on end.
This instance mode sounded much more dangerous than the previous battle royale mode.
"What exactly appears after dark?" Qin Nuo couldn''t help but ask.
Bai Qu suddenly fell silent.
Mute Sister stopped signing.
The twin brothers gestured for Qin Nuo to be quiet.
As if mentioning whates after nightfall was a major taboo!
Mute Sister took a drawing board, wrote a few words, and showed it to Qin Nuo.
"When night falls, all is silent."
"That is another world, called hell!"
Chapter 66: The night falls, scorched walls!
Qin Nuo stepped out of Room 303, feeling increasingly uneasy about the words Mute Sister had written on the drawing board.
What exactly would happen after nightfall?
Descending from the third floor to the lobby, he found quite a few yers already gathered there.
Compared to the Bloodstained Apartment, the yers in this instance were much more cautious, barely speaking to one another.
The nuns appeared quickly, and there was more than one of them, all dressed in identical white robes, holdingrge crosses to their chests.
"Number 47."
Qin Nuo heard the voice and turned to look at one of the nuns.
Number 47 was the number of his orderly uniform.
"This is your reward for today''s work."A pouch was tossed into Qin Nuo''s hands.
Inside were a few ghost coins, somepressed biscuits, and a white candle.
"Wake up at six tomorrow, and remember, you must not leave your room until after six," the nun said before walking away.
The other yers also received their daily rewards ordingly.
Some looked worried, while others were secretly pleased.
"My performance wasn''t bad, so why didn''t I get a white candle?" a yer with the ID Roger asked, frowning.
The nun looked at him, expressionless, and said, "One of your patients lost control."
With that, she left.
Lost control?
What did that mean?
Qin Nuo was puzzled.
Logically speaking, in survival-type instances, food was the ultimate necessity.
But many yers discovered before entering that the "Nightmare Mode" had been added to the game.
After nightfall, there seemed to be some danger.
Was the white candle important to yers?
So, many yers who didn''t receive a white candle felt a bit uneasy.
"Even at level five, you''re scared by a game mode like this."
A yer with the ID Mountain nced at the yers without white candles, who looked anxious and uneasy, and sneered, "Just stay in your room at night, ce a few ghost-repelling items by your bed, and I don''t believe a ghost can break in and tear you apart."
"I don''t have a white candle either, but as long as I have food, it''s enough. In all instances, surviving to the end is the main goal; food is the most fundamental thing!"
With that, Mountain picked up his pouch, bit into an apple, and left.
The yers exchanged nces, finding his words reasonable, and gradually dispersed.
Qin Nuo held the key in his hand, ready to return to his dormitory. As he turned, he saw the blond man standing not far away, watching him with a slight smile.
"Does that guy have a thing for you? Always sneaking looks at you?" the Blood-Eyed Ghost asked.
"I''m not into guys," Qin Nuo replied tly, turning to leave.
Following the number on the key, Qin Nuo found his room, Room 4 on the third floor.
Unexpectedly, the yer named Roger, who didn''t have a white candle, was in the room next to Qin Nuo''s.
He immediately noticed the white candle in Qin Nuo''s pouch, a glint of greed in his eyes.
Especially seeing that Qin Nuo''s yer level was only level 2, this greed intensified!
Qin Nuo remained calm.
If the other party tried to rob him, he would make sure they knew it was the most foolish decision of their life.
In the end, Roger withdrew his gaze, abandoning the idea of robbery, and entered his room.
Qin Nuo''s look had made him uneasy.
His keen instincts kept him calm.
Moreover, after hearing Mountain''s words, he thought maybe the white candle wasn''t that important.
At night, just don''t go out!
Qin Nuo also entered his room. Compared to the previous instances, this room was very tidy.
There weren''t many personal items, but everything was neatly arranged.
In the Horror World, such a clean room was rare, but it gave Qin Nuo an unsettling feeling.
Too clean.
As if... besides him, something else lived here?
He went to the window and looked outside.
The asylum was shrouded in white mist, a vast expanse of white, obscuring the view.
Only the faint outlines of mountains could be seen through the mist.
Far from the city?
"I wonder where this asylum is located, and how far it is from the Nether Springs Restaurant?"
His own property could be freely teleported to after the instance ended.
But the Nether Springs Restaurant wasn''t his property; he just held a managerial position there.
"Forget it, there''s still over ten days left, it''s too early to think about these things."
Qin Nuo went to the bathroom, washed up briefly, then took apressed biscuit from his pouch to replenish his energy.
In the Horror Game, yers wouldn''t actually feel hunger; it was just a constraint imposed by most instance rules.
For example, poor work performance meant no food, and when hunger reached a certain level, one would exit the instance by starving to death.
In some ways, the Horror Game was very simr to games in the real world.
Time slowly passed.
The light outside the window gradually dimmed, and as dusk faded, night began to envelop Saint Yasi Asylum.
It was getting dark.
Outside the window, nothing could be seen anymore.
Inside the room, it grew increasingly dim.
Qin Nuo''s eyes scanned the surroundings, muttering, "There doesn''t seem to be any change."
"Not true, something is approaching the asylum!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost spoke up.
Qin Nuo was about to say something when his pupils suddenly contracted.
In one corner, the originally smooth, painted wall began to peel rapidly, burn marks spreading like a bone-devouring insect.
Arge amount of ash filled the air.
The smell of burning filled his nostrils!
The fan, the hangingmp, the curtains were all covered in burn marks, turning to ash and falling away.
Yet throughout, Qin Nuo saw no fire, not even a spark!
"What¡¯s happening?" Qin Nuo''s expression changed.
"Light the white candle!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost urgently reminded him.
Qin Nuo quickly took out the white candle and lit it.
The faint me flickered unsteadily in the dimness, as if it might go out at any moment.
But it had an unexpected effect.
The burn marks on the wall quickly faded, and the things that had turned to ash returned to their original state.
"Sleep!"
Unclear of the situation, Qin Nuo remembered Mute Sister''s words.
Light the white candle, close your eyes, and sleep.
No matter what happens, don''t open your eyes!
He pulled the nket over himself and closed his eyes.
But in such a situation, sleeping was impossible; the adrenaline rush made him even more alert!
Bang!
A dull thud suddenly came from the room next door.
Then, a loud bang as the door was mmed open.
It was Roger.
He ran out of his room?
As Qin Nuo wondered, his own door was suddenly knocked on, urgently.
Roger was knocking on my door!
Clearly, something happened to that guy, and he wanted Qin Nuo''s help.
But how much better was Qin Nuo''s situation?
Was he supposed to fumble in the dark to open the door for him?
Even if it were Tang Ming knocking, Qin Nuo would hesitate, because it could be a trap.
Not to mention, he had no connection to this guy!
Soon, the knocking ceased.
The room suddenly fell silent.
So quiet it was unsettling, Qin Nuo could almost hear his own heartbeat clearly.
Creak!
Amidst Qin Nuo''s chaotic thoughts, a sound broke the silence.
The sound was like ss scraping against Qin Nuo, making his skin crawl!
Damn it, it was the sound of the door being opened...
Chapter 67: When it gets dark, close your eyes; there are scratch marks on the door!
The door opened, which Qin Nuo hadn''t expected.
Weren''t they supposed to be safe if they stayed in the room?
Damn it, whatever was outside just opened the door and came in!
Although the situation was unexpected, Qin Nuo remained resolute¡ªdo not open his eyes.
The warmth on his face suddenly disappeared.
As much as he didn''t want to think about it, Qin Nuo knew the candle had gone out!
The door opening was one thing, but the candle being blown out?
The life-saving item mentioned by the game and Mute Sister had lost its effect just like that?
Qin Nuo felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, the sense of dread growing stronger."Ah... ah..."
A faint breathing sound echoed in his ear, as if something was right next to his face.
Puffs of warm air blew onto his face...
"Buddy, can you see what it is?"
Qin Nuo couldn''t help but call out to the Blood-Eyed Ghost.
But there was no response.
Suddenly, the door was mmed hard again.
Immediately after, the warm air by his ear vanished.
The sound of a fierce fight filled the air.
After a moment, the fighting sounds also disappeared.
A voice spoke up: "Caregiver, didn''t Mute Sister tell you to light the candle as soon as it gets dark?"
"Because you were slow, those things got in. Luckily, I arrived in time. You can''t die yet. At least give me that jar of Rainbow Candy before you do."
Qin Nuo was stunned.
It was Xiao Yue''s voice.
The little ghosts from Room 303 came to save him!
"This room is no longer safe. Mute Sister has arranged a safe ce. Come with me quickly!"
"Those things will be back soon!"
Then, a cold sensation wrapped around his ankle, a small hand grabbing his foot.
It was Xiao Yue''s hand.
The little ghosts really came to save him!
Qin Nuo was moved and was about to open his eyes and get up.
But suddenly, he realized something was off.
No, this wasn''t Xiao Yue!
Qin Nuo was suddenly certain.
Not to mention that Xiao Yue was still sulking with him, why would she suddenly be so nice?
More importantly, he distinctly remembered that girl''s nails were as sharp as knives!
This time, the grip was tight, but his foot didn''t hurt at all.
Qin Nuo''s mouth twitched uncontrobly.
This deception was too realistic.
It could even read his memories to create an illusion!
If he hadn''t noticed a small detail in time, Qin Nuo would have been fooled.
Qin Nuo was very sure that if he had opened his eyes just now, the consequences would have been unimaginable!
At the very least, his immunity token would have been gone.
Xiao Yue''s voice continued to urge him in his ear, sounding as if she was about to cry from anxiety.
It seemed that if Qin Nuo didn''t leave with her, those things outside the door would really break in and tear him apart!
But Qin Nuo was convinced the voice was fake.
No matter how much it urged, he remained unmoved.
Like a corpse, hey on the bed.
To distract himself, Qin Nuo even thought about how to start his work tomorrow.
Call all you want, but if I respond, I lose!
Suddenly, Xiao Yue''s voice disappeared.
The other side seemed frustrated, and the bed beneath Qin Nuo shook violently.
Various terrifying sounds filled his ears, as if the room was about to copse.
But Qin Nuo was no longer frightened.
He confirmed one thing.
As long as he didn''t open his eyes, the other side couldn''t harm him!
Neither soft nor hard tactics worked.
Finally, the other side seemed to realize it couldn''t deceive Qin Nuo and left, its voice disappearing.
"It''s gone."
The Blood-Eyed Ghost finally spoke.
But Qin Nuo remained unmoved.
He didn''t respond or open his eyes.
The Blood-Eyed Ghost was speechless: "It really left."
"And I''m the real deal, okay!"
Qin Nuo still didn''t move.
Instead, he turned to a morefortable sleeping position and gradually fell asleep.
In the end, he really did sleep until dawn.
Qin Nuo woke up groggily, the morning light piercing his eyes.
He sat up and rubbed his eyes.
His brain, which had been on standby, gradually recalled everything that happenedst night.
Qin Nuo turned his head and saw that the white candle had burned out.
But he remembered it seemed to have been extinguished by somethingst night.
And the room was intact.
The door showed no signs of being mmed open.
In other words, everything that happenedst night was an illusion!
The breath on his face, the grip on his ankle, Xiao Yue''s voice¡ªall fake.
"Finally awake?" the Blood-Eyed Ghost asked.
Qin Nuo thought of something and asked, "Last night, after Iy down, did you talk to me?"
"After you closed your eyes, I didn''t appear again," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
Sure enough, theter voice of the Blood-Eyed Ghost was also fake.
Such cunning, even the most scheming would bow down!
He really couldn''t open his eyes all night.
Opening them meant certain death!
"After you closed your eyesst night, your expression kept changing. Several times, I thought you were going to open your eyes. Fortunately, you''re not stupid," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
Qin Nuo smiled wryly.
It''s not that I''m not stupid.
If I had reacted a bit slower, I might not be here!
"What exactly was causing trouble?" Qin Nuo asked.
"I don''t know."
"Just know it''s terrifying."
"And when night falls, your room echoes with many shrill screams from every corner!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
Hearing this, Qin Nuo instantly became unsettled.
Damn!
His room was really not clean.
Besides himself, did he have many roommates living with him?
"Not ghosts."
The Blood-Eyed Ghost hesitated and said, "Only sounds, like a final sh of life..."
"Your room must have had many deaths before."
Qin Nuo was speechless.
What kind of luck is this? It''s not Room 404, but he ended up with a haunted room!
Looking at the clock, it was already six. Qin Nuo didn''t discussst night''s events any further and got up to put on his caregiver uniform.
Just as he was about to leave, the game''s announcement suddenly sounded.
"A brand new day, face it with a smile. Congrattions to the yers who survived the second day. You''re lucky to have made it through the first night, and of course, this also showcases part of your strength."
"Afterst night''s game mode reshuffle, four yers have exited the game."
"Roger, Arthur, Hero Xu, and Mountain were killed by the game''s NPCs, resulting in a failed instance."
"Good luck to the remaining yers, keep up the effort!"
"Roger was hunted down."
Qin Nuo murmured.
He remembered thatst night, there were only three without white candles, yet four were eliminated.
Those without white candles were all eliminated!
Of those with white candles, one was eliminated, clearly unable to resist and opened their eyes.
Qin Nuo was somewhat surprised.
Fifteen people managed to resist the temptation or pressure and didn''t open their eyes?
"It seems the yers in this instance are much more experienced than those in the previous one."
Murmuring, Qin Nuo opened the door.
Stepping into the hallway, after closing the door, Qin Nuo was stunned.
His door was covered in w marks, all bloody...
Chapter 68: Mute Sister warns, strange woman!
Looking at the scratches on the door, Qin Nuo was taken aback and pinched the congealed scabs with his fingers.
Sticky.
It was obvious that the blood had been congealed for several hours.
Qin Nuo''s expression turned serious.
The scratches on the wall were evident.
Everything fromst night was fake.
Except for Roger next door desperately banging on his door¡ªthat was real!
"Did this guy scratch his fingers raw?" Qin Nuo murmured.
Logically, with a get-out-of-jail-free card, he shouldn''t have been so desperate.But then again, when people are truly terrified and desperate, their minds go nk, and they''ll do anything to survive.
Or perhaps, these scratches weren''t his?
These guys, after being hunted, although they can revive, sensibly exit the instance.
"This white candle is truly a lifesaver. It seems today''s work performance must not receive any negative reviews."
Although he was curious about what would appear after nightfall, his life was more important.
Even though Qin Nuo still had a get-out-of-jail-free card and a scapegoat scarecrow.
But what''s the biggest taboo in ying games?
Don''t be reckless!
Clearing his thoughts, Qin Nuo headed towards the hospital ward building.
In room 303, a few little ghosts had already woken up.
Qin Nuo pushed the door open and greeted each one.
Mute Sister sat on the bed, sewing another rag doll. Who knows where she got so many broken dolls.
The TV, at some point, had been fixed, and the twins were sitting on the floor, engrossed in watching the static.
Seeing Qin Nuo, they smiled happily and said, "You''re amazing, caretaker! You actually fixed the TV!"
Although he didn''t know who fixed the TV, Qin Nuo still reminded them, "You can only watch for six hours a day, and it must be turned off during meal times."
The twins were displeased, "Why?"
"No reason, because I''m the caretaker."
Qin Nuo took out a few pieces of Rainbow Candy and said, "Only those who listen get rewards."
The twins stared at Qin Nuo''s hand, licked their lips, and nodded vigorously.
Qin Nuo gave them four pieces each.
Suddenly, pain shot up from his foot.
Qin Nuo winced, pulling Xiao Yue up, "How about I trim your nails?"
Xiao Yue sucked on a finger, blinked her big eyes, and said, "Give me some candy, and I won''t be mad at you."
Qin Nuo was speechless.
She''s really just a little ghost; any problem can be solved with candy.
Qin Nuo, being straightforward, stuffed a few pieces into her mouth, and Xiao Yue walked away satisfied.
Mute Sister suddenly approached, using signnguage.
Qin Nuo asked, "Bai Qu, trante."
"I''m here, caretaker!"
Qin Nuo looked up to see Bai Qu with his feet stuck in the fan, spinning around with it.
Qin Nuo was speechless.
Was this kid a spider in his past life?
As Bai Qu spun, he tranted, "Mute Sister says nothing happenedst night, right?"
Qin Nuo said, "It was fine, a close call. After dark, I didn''t open my eyes again."
Mute Sister continued with her signnguage.
"Mute Sister says as long as you don''t open your eyes, nothing will happen."
Qin Nuo nodded, checked the time, and said, "Today I have to check on the patient in 302. Be good and don''t run around."
Hearing 302, Mute Sister hesitated before using signnguage.
"The patient in 302 is very violent and unpredictable. Thest caretaker was torn apart by them, so be careful."
"If you can''t handle it, just escape. They usually don''t dare to leave the ward because they''re afraid of the Nun!" Bai Qu continued tranting for Mute Sister.
Qin Nuo nodded, "Understood."
He remembered one thing.
If the patient is disobedient, it''s okay to discipline them a bit.
In other words, it''s within the permissible range without deducting performance points!
The patient is unpredictable?
I''m not always smiling either!
After a few reminders, Qin Nuo exited room 303.
Reaching room 302, Qin Nuo took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and walked in.
The balcony of 302 was blocked by arge banyan tree, so the lighting was poor, and the room was quite dim.
As soon as he entered, the stifling air hit him, making it hard to breathe.
The air seemed to be filled with the smell of blood...
Qin Nuo had already imagined an extremely bloody scene.
But unexpectedly, the patients in 302 were each sitting on their beds, hugging their knees, curled up in the corners.
They looked at Qin Nuo with curious eyes, their expressions not fierce but calm, and they seemed a bit introverted.
The atmosphere...
Wasn''t quite what Qin Nuo expected.
Were these the violent patients in 302 that Mute Sister mentioned?
Looking at them, they didn''t seem like the type to tear a caretaker apart.
"Hello, I''m the new caretaker. From today, I''ll be responsible for your daily care."
"If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."
No one responded.
They stared intently at Qin Nuo, as if examining some new creature.
The atmosphere was awkward and eerie.
Qin Nuo nced around and suddenly realized something was off.
ording to the records, there were six patients in 302, but only five were huddled in the corners.
Where did the other one go?
Qin Nuo wanted to check the balcony quietly, but suddenly stepped on something sticky.
Looking down, Qin Nuo was startled.
He just noticed a person lying on the floor!
The step he tooknded right on their head.
Moreover, blood was spreading across the floor, and Qin Nuo stepped back, leaving footprints in the blood.
What the hell is going on?
identally stepping on someone shouldn''t cause this much blood, right?
Or did the other five patients gang up and beat them to death?
"Ugh..."
The patient on the floor was still conscious, propping themselves up with their hands and slowly getting up.
They lifted their head, revealing a blood-covered face, with a dented skull, a crooked nose, and blood mixed with a few dislodged teeth.
Their body was covered in various horrifying injuries.
It was barely discernible that it was a woman.
"Are you the new caretaker? Hello, I''m Yue Qin."
The woman smiled slightly, extending a hand while using the other to twist her broken nose back into ce.
The woman seemed like she should be quite pretty.
But when she smiled, missing a few teeth, the image was just...
Qin Nuo looked at her bloody hand and said, "I just went to the bathroom and forgot to wash my hands."
"No worries, I don''t mind the dirt," the woman said.
"¡"
Qin Nuo extended his hand, shaking hers.
The sticky sensation made Qin Nuo feel very ufortable.
"Nice to meet you," Yue Qin said, retracting her hand with a smile.
As soon as she finished speaking, the five patients in the corner all said, "Hello, caretaker!"
Even though he had prepared himself before entering, the bizarre scene in front of him still caught Qin Nuo off guard.
"How did you get those injuries? If any patient bullied you, you canin to me, and I''ll... have the Nun deal with itter," Qin Nuo said, deciding to speak as a caretaker.
"No need."
Yue Qin smiled faintly, "I asked them to beat me."
Then, she tilted her head, suddenly scratching her scalp with her hand, clicking her tongue, "It''s itchy here again!"
With that, she squatted down and mmed her head into the sharp corner of the bed.
St!!
Blood sttered across the floor.
Qin Nuo''s mouth twitched.
He finally understood.
This woman was a super masochist!
Chapter 69: The whip is very big, bear with it!
"Ah, much better."
Yue Qin rubbed her head, showing a satisfied expression.
Blood trickled down her cheek, staining her cor a bright red.
The other patients, ustomed to such sights, got up to fetch a mop and bucket to clean up.
"My body feels weirdly itchy every day, and once it starts, I can''t stand it."
"Pain not only relieves the itch but also feels good. You know that feeling, like your body is suddenly satisfied, it''s wonderful..."
Yue Qin licked the blood from the corner of her mouth, speaking with intoxication.
"Did I scare you?"
Despite his slightly unnatural expression, Qin Nuo said, "Everyone has their little quirks, it''s normal."He took out a work form, "Report your daily habits, if there''s anything you need, let me know and I''ll try to help."
Qin Nuo looked at the other patients, their eyes vacant as they cleaned the floor, seemingly ignoring his words.
"So, nothing then."
"Good, that means you''re getting along well."
Saying this, Qin Nuo marked each patient''s form with a satisfactory check.
"They won''t have any objections."
"I do have one, though. I wonder if the caregiver can help me?" Yue Qin smiled.
Despite a bad feeling in his gut, Qin Nuo asked out of duty, "Let''s hear it."
"Can you make me feel good?"
Yue Qin grinned, her gaze on Qin Nuo filled with malice.
Under normal circumstances, this would be taken the wrong way.
Buting from this twisted woman, Qin Nuo knew it wasn''t what it seemed.
"I think you''re fine as you are, and I don''t think I can help with that." Qin Nuo took two steps back.
"Leave," the Blood-Eyed Ghost suddenly spoke.
"No problem, I''ll be leaving now. I''ll bring lunch overter."
Putting away the forms, Qin Nuo turned to leave.
Whoosh!!
Suddenly, a cold gleam shed, and an axe flew toward him.
Qin Nuo raised his right hand, easily catching the wooden handle of the axe.
He then looked at the patient in bed number 4, trying to keep his tone gentle, "Didn''t anyone teach you not to throw things around?"
As he spoke, patient number 1 silently appeared behind Qin Nuo with a kitchen knife, the de swiftly shing toward his throat.
Qin Nuo stepped back, grasped the de with his right hand, and crushed it effortlessly. Before the patient could react, he mped hisrge hand on the patient''s head and mmed it to the ground.
Bang!
The terrifying strength shattered the floor instantly, blood sttering everywhere.
Qin Nuo tossed patient number 2 back to the corner of the bed like a ragdoll.
Patient number 2 sat slumped, head tilted, face smashed out of shape, but the eyes still moved, staring intently at Qin Nuo.
Looking at the other restless patients, Qin Nuo said sternly, "Didn''t anyone teach you that patients and caregivers should get along?"
Yue Qin chuckled, "Do you know how thest caregiver left?"
Qin Nuo replied calmly, "Not interested, but I think I''ll definitely walk out."
Yue Qin waved her right hand, and the patients blinked, retreating to the corner of the room.
"I have two little quirks."
"One is enjoying being abused; pain satisfies my desires."
"The other is enjoying watching others suffer, the screams of torn throats, and the pained, twisted expressions also satisfy my special quirks."
"As a caregiver, isn''t it your duty to meet the patients'' needs?"
"Feel free, you can choose one of these options."
Qin Nuo shook his head, "I can refuse excessive demands from patients."
"How is this excessive?"
Yue Qin giggled, "Don''t men love to torment women?"
"Or is it that you don''t like women?"
Qin Nuo''s face darkened, "I like women, but I like normal women."
With that, he turned to leave, suddenly feeling a chill on his back. He quickly sidestepped, and the wall behind him was shed with five deep gashes, the steel inside cut through.
Looking back, he saw Yue Qin''s hands had grown pitch-ck nails, sharp as des.
"Little virgin, if you don''t choose, I''ll choose for you."
Yue Qin smiled sweetly, charging forward, her sharp nails already reaching Qin Nuo.
sh!!
A blood-red eye appeared on the back of Qin Nuo''s right hand, grabbing Yue Qin''s pale wrist and twisting it like a pretzel with a crack.
Yue Qin seemed unfazed by the pain, her other hand wing down, tearing Qin Nuo''s right hand open, blood sttering.
Qin Nuo stepped back, looking at his bloody right hand, the flesh torn, the stark white bone visible.
His expression turned grim.
In the Horror World, injuries are feared, especially severe ones.
Because it severely impacts the progress of the subsequent game!
Over there, Yue Qin smiled with narrowed eyes, grabbing herpletely twisted arm and slowly bending it back.
The torn flesh and shattered bones healed at a visible speed.
"This woman is troublesome, don''t waste time with her," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
"If I run, I''ll probably get a bad review today," Qin Nuo muttered.
"Then just satisfy her, this woman is so hot, you won''t lose out," the Blood-Eyed Ghost chuckled.
Qin Nuo had no time for banter with the Blood-Eyed Ghost.
After pondering for a moment, he thought of something.
"Fine, since she has this quirk, I''ll satisfy her, give her a pleasure she''s never experienced!"
The Blood-Eyed Ghost continued to tease, "So young, so confident in your body?"
"..."
Over there, Yue Qin licked her lips and charged again.
Suddenly, in the dim light, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air!
Yue Qin froze, and then her face was struck hard, sending her flying sideways.
Smack!!
Qin Nuo flicked the ck whip in his hand, covered in dense barbs, the tip dripping with blood.
Yue Qin got up, her face disfigured, blood flowing profusely.
The intense pain only made Yue Qin show an excited expression, "What is that?"
Qin Nuo cracked the whip in the air twice, the tip exploding with a sharp sound.
"A whip, don''t women love this kind of thing?"
"SM? You have quite the kink!" the Blood-Eyed Ghostmented.
Qin Nuo didn''t exin.
Who the hell carries a whip for no reason?
The whip in his hand was a ghost creature from a golden treasure chest.
"Thorn Goddess''s Whip: When used on ghosts, it can induce a frenzy of obsession. The strength and marks of the whipping determine the effect''s intensity!" (At a certain effect, it can mesmerize ghosts)
This thing was practically tailor-made for this twisted woman!
Qin Nuo rolled up his sleeves, his demeanor suddenly changing, "Woman, you like being tormented, so I''ll grant your wish!"
"But let me warn you, this whip is thick, can you handle it?"
Yue Qin''s eyes shone with intense excitement, nodding vigorously, "No problem, please torment me to your heart''s content!"
Damn it!
Such a woman deserves a good thrashing for the sake of all men!
Chapter 70: Room 301, Mysterious Nun!
In the dim room, a ck whip, like a bolt of dark lightning,shed fiercely through the air!
Itnded on the frail, wounded body of a woman.
Each strike of the whip, with the sound of flesh tearing, made one''s scalp tingle, unbearable to watch.
However¡ª
The woman didn''t scream in agony from this cruel torture but instead let out excited shrieks!
Everysh made her scream with excitement.
"Just like that, harder! No mercy!"
Yue Qin''s words made Qin Nuo''s face darken even more.
How could her words not sound like an insult to him?Weak and powerless?
Instantly, the muscles in Qin Nuo''s right hand tensed, veins bulging.
As the nextsh came down, the air exploded again, and the end of the whip struck the woman''s forehead.
A ssh of blood sttered on the wall!
Yue Qin was sent flying several meters away by the surprisingly powerful strike, shattering the ss of the floor-to-ceiling window.
In an instant, Yue Qiny motionless on the balcony.
Qin Nuo panted heavily, the constant effort of swinging his arm leaving a numb, aching sensation spreading through half his body.
The whip''s barbs emitted a faint purple glow, devouring the blood it had absorbed.
"Ding, the Thorn Goddess''s Whip has exceeded 99% effectiveness on the Punisher, achieving a conquest effect!"
Conquest?
Qin Nuo looked at Yue Qin, motionless on the balcony, and couldn''t help but mutter, "Did I whip her to death?"
"Even if you twisted her head off, she wouldn''t die," said the Blood-Eyed Ghost.
Yue Qin suddenly moved, then turned over, looking at the ceiling with a satisfied expression after a fierce battle.
"Finally satisfied..."
The torn skin quickly healed, not a trace of injury visible, and when she got up, she waspletely covered in blood.
She walked in and her first words were, "Little brother, you''re even more impressive than I thought. That whip of yours gave me an unprecedented feeling!"
Qin Nuo: "..."
Seeing Yue Qin approaching again.
Qin Nuo gripped the whip tightly.
"Don''t be nervous, after being satisfied, my little quirks won''t appear for a while."
Yue Qin stared at the whip, giggling, "That ghost creature in your hand is really something."
"You can have it." Although it was a ghost creature, Qin Nuo wasn''t interested in such things.
"Why give it to me? I can''t use it as well as the nurse."
Qin Nuo didn''t want to continue discussing these ambiguous topics with her, so he said, "So, are you satisfied with my work performance?"
"Very satisfied."
"Then can I leave now?"
"Of course, but next time my little quirkse back, I hope the nurse can show up on time to help me out."
Despite his reluctance, Qin Nuo chose toply for the sake of his work performance score: "I''ll try."
Just as Qin Nuo was about to leave, Yue Qin suddenly called him back.
Then, a few sticks of incense were tossed into Qin Nuo''s hand.
"This is your reward, keep up the good work next time."
Damn it!
Why does this feel like being a gigolo?
Qin Nuo wanted to throw the incense and leave, but after thinking it over, he decided to keep it.
After all, incense was the favorite of those little ghosts like Xiao Yue!
Leaving room 302, Qin Nuo looked at hiscerated right hand, blood still flowing, and frowned.
"This injury is a big problem."
But then, he suddenly remembered the strange doctor''s medical kit he opened before entering the instance.
He quickly opened it, selected a few items, and took out a roll of antiseptic bandage.
"I wonder if this will work?"
Qin Nuo didn''t know any medical techniques, so he simply wrapped it around his right hand, covering itpletely.
Soon, something miraculous happened. The bandage emitted ayer of green light and automatically tightened.
Qin Nuo suddenly felt the injury beneath the bandage healing rapidly.
He clenched his fist.
His arm regained sensation.
When the green light faded, Qin Nuo removed the bandage and saw that his arm waspletely healed, as good as new.
Not even a scar remained!
"Is this medical kit really that amazing?"
Qin Nuo was stunned, suddenly realizing that this medical kit was a treasure.
After all, it came from a golden treasure chest, no cheap goods here, he had been careless.
And this was just the effect of the antiseptic bandage, there were other medications too.
If used well, Qin Nuo couldpletely save the use of a life-saving talisman and a substitute strawman.
At this moment, the clock chimed in the hall.
Qin Nuo checked the time, it was noon, time for the patients'' lunch, so he packed up the medical kit and went downstairs.
When he reached the cafeteria downstairs, the nurses had all gathered there.
This time, there were many more than yesterday.
Besides the yer nurses, there were also many ghost nurses.
Perhaps because a few yers were eliminated today.
As usual, Qin Nuo took a tray and started lining up.
Today''s lunch distributor was still the Multi-Faced Ghost.
Compared to yesterday, it had several fewer faces today, looking in poor condition and more irritable.
"North District Room 401, I..."
Before the yer could finish speaking, a sticky pile of food was pped onto the tray.
"Get lost!!"
The Multi-Faced Ghost shouted, scaring the yer into quickly grabbing the tray and running off.
"Next!!"
The Multi-Faced Ghost shouted, the humiliation from yesterday had left it with a belly full of anger.
But its ferocity vanished instantly when it was the next guest''s turn.
"What''s wrong, having a tough day at work?" Qin Nuo said with a smile, pushing the tray to the window.
"No, no, just seeing you, brother, brightens my day." The Multi-Faced Ghost instantly switched to a humble smile.
Inside, it was filled with grief and humiliation.
But fear still took up more space.
The taste of the human bone nail from yesterday was still fresh in its memory, making it tremble all over.
"That''s right, treat us nurses well, it''s not easy for any of us," Qin Nuo said.
The Multi-Faced Ghost nodded quickly, then ced the lunch on the tray.
"Don''t show that attitude again, unless you want me to reward you with a few more nails." Qin Nuo nced at it, then left.
The eagerness on the Multi-Faced Ghost''s face instantly turned malicious, staring in the direction Qin Nuo left, its sinister ghost face gritting its teeth, "Damn rat, just wait, I''ll definitely get my revenge!"
Meanwhile, Qin Nuo took the lunch back to the third floor, delivering it to room 303 first.
The little ghosts weren''t very interested in lunch, but upon hearing there would be Rainbow Candy as a reward after eating, they immediately devoured their portions, racing to finish first.
Mute Sister signed to Qin Nuo.
Bai Qu, eating, said, "Mute Sister asked if you went to room 302?"
"I did," Qin Nuo nodded.
Bai Qu and the twins looked at Qin Nuo in surprise, "You actually came out whole?"
"You seem disappointed?"
"Because previous nurses either came out of room 302 in pieces or with broken limbs."
"You''re the first toe out whole."
Qin Nuo''s mouth twitched.
What kind of ghostly ward is this?
Most importantly, there''s an even more terrifying room 301 that he hasn''t visited yet!
Qin Nuo was sweating, feeling immense pressure.
Mute Sister continued signing.
Bai Qu said, "Mute Sister says the patients in room 301 are strange people, just don''t bother them."
"Do your nursing job, don''t disturb them, there''s rarely any danger."
Mute Sister''s words made Qin Nuo ponder.
The idea was to treat them like air, do your job, like cing lunch there and confirming the patients are present, then you can leave the room.
That''s a good suggestion.
Qin Nuo nodded, "I''ll go to room 301 tomorrow, there''s no rush."
The game''s rule is that as long as youplete the headcount in all the wards in your jurisdiction within five days, you''re good.
The rating is based on getting a positive review from a ward''s patients, which is satisfactory.
Two wards'' positive reviews are good.
Three wards'' positive reviews are excellent.
None of the three, rated as unsatisfactory, and if you receive negative reviews, rated as dissatisfied, very dissatisfied, terrible!
Barring any surprises, today Qin Nuo should receive positive reviews from two wards, with a work performance rating of good!
So, room 301 can wait.
"You guys keep eating, I''m going for a walk."
Qin Nuo said, having finished his work early today, he could use this opportunity to explore.
This mental hospital isn''t as simple as it seems on the surface.
The main quest, Qin Nuo was also a bit interested in.
After all, the Phantom identity was already so high-profile, why not aim for another instance MVP and make it even more high-profile?
Sometimes, the more dazzling one identity is, the better it can protect another hidden identity.
"tter!"
Xiao Yue ced the clean tray on the table, looking at Qin Nuo as if seeking praise, "Xiao Yue finished eating!"
The twins also put down their trays, grinning, "Rainbow Candy! Rainbow Candy!"
Qin Nuo gave each of them 5 pieces.
Only Bai Qu hadn''t finished, looking enviously at the twins and Xiao Yue.
Qin Nuo gave it five pieces too.
After all, this little ghost was so well-behaved, always volunteering as a trantor.
Leaving room 303, Qin Nuo delivered lunch to room 302.
Yue Qin was clearly the boss of room 302, nothing seemed to happen without her permission, and only then did the other five patients dare to act.
Yue Qin nodded, and they devoured the food on their trays.
Taking the opportunity, Qin Nuo casually asked Yue Qin about room 301.
"A few weirdos."
"I''ve seen one woman, even weirder than me," Yue Qin muttered.
Qin Nuo thought, is there really someone weirder than you in this world?
"The ones in room 301, don''t try tomunicate with them, after all, I finally found a man who satisfies me, I don''t want to lose him!" Yue Qin said.
"Is it that exaggerated?" Qin Nuo couldn''t help but ask.
"Not at all."
"They fear nothing but the Nun!" Yue Qin said.
"Are the Nuns that scary?"
This question, Qin Nuo had wanted to ask for a long time.
He had previously detected through the Blood-Eyed Ghost that those ck-robed Nuns didn''t have Horror Level, at most mid-level Ghost Power.
Yue Qin''s strength was even above theirs.
"It''s not them who are scary..." Yue Qin didn''t continue, stopping halfway.
Qin Nuo knew this was likely another taboo area for them.
So he didn''t press further.
"Hiss!"
Yue Qin suddenly scratched her head.
Qin Nuo knew what this meant, and tried asking, "Do you want me to help?"
"No need, I can scratch it myself."
With that, Yue Qin pulled out a dagger from somewhere and stabbed it directly into the itchy spot on her skull.
In an instant, blood and brain matter sttered...
Chapter 71: Patients head exploded, blood in the toilet!
Qin Nuo stopped bothering Yue Qin''s scratching and exited room 302.
He then wandered around the psychiatric hospital.
Every corner of the hospital was deste, exuding a sinister aura.
Moreover, it was shrouded in white mist all day, with dim lighting, perfectly creating the atmosphere of a horror movie.
During this time, Qin Nuo encountered several yers who were tending to difficult patients. They looked surprised when they saw Qin Nuo but didn''t pay much attention, pushing the patients away.
"The main quest says to investigate the truth behind the deaths of everyone in the psychiatric hospital, indicating that something terrifying happened here, causing everyone to die."
"But what does ''mastermind'' mean?"
"Does it mean someone orchestrated all this from behind the scenes? Killed everyone in the psychiatric hospital?"
As Qin Nuo walked down the corridor, he analyzed the clues of the main quest.So far, only one instance task had beenpleted, and no other clues had been obtained. With just these two leads, it was impossible to conduct a thorough investigation.
Just then, Qin Nuo raised an eyebrow.
At the far end of the corridor, a caregiver was pushing a patient toward the lobby.
The caregiver was the blond man, who also saw Qin Nuo and turned away expressionlessly.
The patient in the wheelchair was drooling, seemingly emotionally unstable, asionally letting out a couple of sicklyughs.
Upon reaching the lobby, perhaps it was the light from outside the door, or maybe the manor outside, that made the patient unusually excited, shaking wildly in the wheelchair.
Then, he suddenly stood up and rushed outside, only to be stopped by the locked door.
The patient frantically banged his head against the ss, and soon, the ss was smeared with blood!
The blond man coldlymanded, "Come back, sit down!"
The patientughed maniacally, hitting the ss with increasing force, his face covered in blood, "Out! I want out!"
"I''ll say it again,e back and sit down!"
The blond man spoke again.
Seeing no effect, he suddenly rushed forward, grabbed the patient''s head, and roughly dragged him back.
In the struggle, the patient somehow pulled out a fruit knife and swiftly shed at the blond man''s throat.
The blond man reacted quickly, stepping back.
But a bloodstain was still left on his neck.
Fortunately, the wound wasn''t deep.
If it had been an inch deeper, his throat might have been cut open, and blood would have gushed out!
He touched his neck, looking at the blood on his fingers.
The blond man''s forehead veins bulged, his face darkened to the extreme.
The patient, holding the fruit knife, continued tough, repeating, "I want out!"
Bang!!
The next second after saying this, the patient''s head suddenly exploded.
The blond man, holding a revolver, looked particrly terrifying with his grim face.
He then stepped forward, dragging the headless corpse back to the wheelchair.
Looking at the dead patient, the blond man''s grim face gradually turned ugly.
He nced back at Qin Nuo in the distance, who turned his face away, pretending not to have seen anything.
Only then did the blond man push the wheelchair away.
"That guy actually killed the patient!" Qin Nuo murmured after the blond man left.
That temper was a bit too explosive!
"That revolver is a pretty good Ghost Creature," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
"No matter how powerful it is, can he take down the Nun too?" Qin Nuo replied.
The caregiver killing the patient was more than just a bad review.
The blond man''s performance score today might very well hit zero.
Lack of food and Ghost Currency was a minor issue.
Without a white candle, that was a big problem!
At least with a white candle, staying in the room with eyes closed could ensure a safe night.
Without a white candle, when night fell, those things coulde in, and no matter how tough the blond man was, he''d be like meat on a chopping board.
"Hope I can still see him tomorrow."
Qin Nuo muttered to himself and left as well.
After walking around the designated area, Qin Nuo found nothing noteworthy.
Seeing that it was about time, Qin Nuo nned to head back, but as he passed a corridor, he suddenly stopped.
This corridor looked like a fire escape, with the door at the end wrapped in chains.
But when Qin Nuo pushed it open, the chains corroded and fell to the ground, turning into a pile of fragments.
Creak!
Driven by curiosity, Qin Nuo pushed open the door, and the scene before him left him stunned.
Everywhere were rubble fragments, broken walls, and piles of rebar and concrete.
Behind the door was apletely different scene, like an abandoned building long prepared for demolition.
"Does the psychiatric hospital have such a ce?"
Walking down this corridor, based on theyout of the rooms inside, it wasn''t hard to see that these were once patient rooms.
"It feels like opening the door to a new world," Qin Nuo murmured.
"Maybe they ran out of budget and couldn''t afford to renovate this side, why imagine so much," the Blood-Eyed Ghost retorted.
Just as he finished speaking, the Blood-Eyed Ghost suddenly said, "Hmm? There''s a strange smell."
"What smell?"
"Can''t say, over by the restroom, go take a look."
The restroom was also in ruins.
For an ordinary person, such a sinister ce would be enough to deter them, but for Qin Nuo, the entire psychiatric hospital was eerie and bizarre, so it made no difference, and he went in directly.
Qin Nuo opened one of the toilet stalls.
The filthy environment and suffocating stench made one want to retch.
Following the Blood-Eyed Ghost''s guidance, Qin Nuo pushed open the doors of each toilet stall.
Bang!!
Suddenly, a dull sound came from the innermost toilet stall.
The thin, decayed toilet door broke open with arge hole!
"Is there someone in such a ce?"
Qin Nuo was taken aback, pulling out his bone-cracking hammer, and approached that spot.
As he pushed open the toilet door, Qin Nuo took a step back, giving himself a safe distance.
The toilet door opened, revealing a mass of barbed wire, with sharp hooks on the wires.
A person was trapped inside, with the wires densely piercing through their body, the barbs hooking into the flesh.
This person''s clothes had been stripped off, their entire body covered in congealed blood, and the countless wounds made one''s skin crawl.
The man''s eyes were also bloodied, his eyeballs gouged out.
Seemingly aware of someone entering, the man moved slightly.
But the dense wires also shifted, the barbs tearing the flesh apart, blood staining the wires red, dripping onto the floor.
Even though Qin Nuo had seen many horrifying scenes, this one still made him extremely ufortable.
What kind of twisted person could do such a thing?
What had this punished person done to deserve such terrible torture?
Or was it just a personal hobby?
"I am guilty, unforgivably guilty, please forgive me, I am guilty, unforgivably guilty..."
The man uttered a hoarse voice, trembling and fearful, repeating these words.
As if constantly confessing to someone...
Chapter 72: Ghost Creature Cigarettes, Captive Girl!
The man''s voice was filled with pain and remorse, making Qin Nuo feel ufortable.
He tried tomunicate with the man, but thetter waspletely immersed in his own world, not listening at all.
It was then that Qin Nuo suddenly noticed a blood-painted pattern on the wall behind the man.
A totem resembling a religious symbol!
The blood made the totem look filled with an evil aura.
"A curse..." the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
"What kind of curse?" Qin Nuo asked.
"Not sure, but it''s clearly a curse on this man. Unless the totem is erased, this man will remain trapped here."
"Unable to die or leave, endless torment, that''s the most terrifying!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.Qin Nuo looked up at the totem, squinting slightly.
"You want to help him?"
Qin Nuo replied indifferently, "I don''t even know him, and even if I did, I''m not that kind-hearted."
"I avoid curses like the gue."
With that, Qin Nuo closed the bathroom door, no longer focusing on the tormented man.
After leaving the bathroom, it seemed there was nothing of interest, so Qin Nuo exited and shut the main door.
As soon as he stepped out, hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway.
Suddenly, someone rushed out in a hurry, unable to stop in time, almost colliding with Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo sidestepped, letting the person crash into the wall instead.
The collision was quite hard, and the man clutched his nose, squatting on the ground as blood seeped through his fingers.
"Watch where you''re going. Hitting a wall is one thing, but if you bump into a girl, you''ll get a p or two!" Qin Nuo kindly reminded.
Judging by the man''s attire, he was clearly a caregiver like Qin Nuo.
What was he doing here instead of being in his own area, taking care of patients?
"I''m sorry, I''m sorry."
The man looked young, about twenty years old, and was quite polite. Despite his nose being hurt, he kept apologizing.
"My patient ran off. If I don''t find him and get him back to the ward by six, I''m done for!" the young man said frantically.
"Did he get lost around here?" Qin Nuo asked.
"Yes, yes, I turned around, and he was gone."
"There aren''t many rooms here, and the view is quite open. You should be able to find him quickly," Qin Nuo said.
"Brother, can you help me look?"
"No."
"We''re both caregivers, help me out!" The young man pleaded desperately, almost kneeling.
"What do you have on you?" Qin Nuo asked, eyeing his pocket.
The young man was speechless.
Was he really that pragmatic?
The young man fumbled through his clothes and awkwardly pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. "Will this do?"
"Offering me a cigarette in this situation? Your thinking is quite novel," Qin Nuo rolled his eyes.
The young man quickly exined, "These aren''t ordinary cigarettes. They were a reward from an old man in one of my instances."
"He said it''s something good."
"But for some reason, I''ve never been able to open this pack, so I''ve kept it."
"An item from an instance?"
Hearing this, Qin Nuo finally focused on the cigarettes.
No name, no logo, just a in ck package.
"A good item," the Blood-Eyed Ghost reminded.
With the Blood-Eyed Ghost''s confirmation, Qin Nuo took the cigarettes and immediately smiled, "Alright, since we met by chance, and I happen to crave a smoke, I''ll help you out."
The cigarettes were a ghost creature, and Qin Nuo tossed them into the system''s toolbar.
Soon, the system''s voice was triggered.
"Congrattions to the host for obtaining the Horror Level ghost creature¡ªConstantine''s Cigarettes!"
"[Constantine''s Cigarettes]: A cigarette after the fact, better than being a living god. Lighting the cursed cigarette grants irvoyance, allowing you to summon spirits at a death scene formunication." (When the cigarette burns out, the irvoyance disappears)
"irvoyance? In a Horror World, do we still need that?"
Though Qin Nuo thought this, he kept it. The more bizarre the ability, the better; you never know when it mighte in handy.
"Let''s go, don''t just stand there. Didn''t you say time is running out?" Qin Nuo turned and walked away.
The young man quickly followed after realizing.
While helping to search, Qin Nuo learned the young man''s name was Fu Bing, responsible for the South District ward on the fifth floor.
A patient had asked to go out for a breath of fresh air and then ran off when Fu Bing wasn''t looking.
Having walked around this area before, Qin Nuo was somewhat familiar with it and soon found some clues.
Qin Nuo picked up a piece of fabric torn and caught on a window corner, a blue and white striped patient gown.
Both of them looked up, their eyesnding on the room ahead.
The room didn''t look like a ward; it was muchrger, possibly a conference room or something simr.
"The door is locked with an iron lock. The patient must have gone in through the window, so we should also..."
Before Fu Bing could finish speaking, there was a loud bang as Qin Nuo tore the iron lock off as if it were as fragile as a potato chip.
Fu Bing stared at him in shock.
"Born with great strength, don''t be surprised," Qin Nuo brushed it off and went inside.
The room was dimly lit.
In the corners on both sidesy several human figures.
The reason they were called human figures was that they were wrapped in bandages from head to toe, like mummies.
But from their prominent figures, it was clear they were all women.
Chains ran through their shoulders, with the other end embedded in the wall, imprisoning them like prisoners.
"Are they still alive?" Fu Bing asked in a terrified whisper.
Qin Nuo didn''t answer, walking further inside.
A stage was set up there, and on it sat a man in a blue and white striped patient gown, staring nkly ahead.
Muttering, "Sister..."
"That''s my patient, finally found him!"
Fu Bing rejoiced and hurriedly went up to pull the patient up, "You scared me to death, don''t stay here, let''s hurry back to the ward, or I''m done for!"
Pulling him alone was difficult, so Fu Bing had to ask Qin Nuo for help, "Buddy, give me a hand, stop just watching!"
Qin Nuo suddenly said, "Why don''t you look up and see what your patient is staring at?"
Fu Bing, puzzled, looked up instinctively, and the next moment, he jumped in fright.
On the stage stood arge cross.
A woman was nailed to it, her hands and feet pierced by nails, in a pose reminiscent of Satan.
Her clothes were tattered, and her hair was disheveled.
She first let out a strangeugh, then kept muttering, "I''m guilty, unforgivably guilty, please forgive me, hee hee hee..."
And on the wall behind the cross, there was also a huge blood-red cursed totem painted.
Qin Nuo frowned.
Just like the man in the bathroom!
What heinous crimes had these peoplemitted?
Who held such a grudge to punish them like this?
Qin Nuo pondered.
But one thing was certain,
These were definitely rted to the main quest!
"Look... look!!"
Suddenly, Fu Bing shouted, eyes wide open.
Qin Nuo''s thoughts were interrupted, and when he looked up,
The terrifying scene made Qin Nuo''s face turn pale in an instant...
Chapter 73: Reincarnation torment, pure Fu Bing!
"Ah¡ª"
On the cross, the woman suddenly let out a painful scream.
Her skin seemed to be cut by some sharp object, then torn apart piece by piece, separating from the flesh.
Just watching this kind of pain made one''s whole body tremble and hair stand on end.
Qin Nuo and Fu Bing nced at it and then quickly looked away.
But the woman''s piercing screams still made the corners of their mouths twitch uncontrobly.
Pieces of skin fell to the ground, apanied by arge amount of blood.
Before long, the woman''s voice became incredibly weak, and she turned into aplete blood-covered figure.
Yet, even in this state, the woman clung to life.The patient on the ground became emotionally agitated, muttering something repeatedly.
Just when Qin Nuo and Fu Bing thought this horrific scene had ended, they both suddenly took a deep breath.
The woman''s skin suddenly healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, the severely damaged tissue frantically repairing itself.
In just a few breaths, the bloody body became white and smooth again.
Even the blood hadpletely disappeared.
This scene made Qin Nuo and Fu Bing even more chilled to the bone.
Reincarnation!
Every time the woman''s skin was torn and stripped away, it would automatically heal, only to be torn and stripped again, and then heal...
Endless terrifying torment!
Every so often, the woman had to endure the horrifying pain of tearing...
The patient''s emotions grew more intense, as if about to lose control at any moment.
Qin Nuo stepped forward and knocked him unconscious with a hand chop, tossing him to the still-stunned Fu Bing, saying, "Let''s go!"
Fu Bing looked at the woman, feeling a bit of pity, "Maybe we can save her?"
"That''s a curse, not just a wooden frame. Touch it, and you might end up nailed there instead."
"You can try to save her if you want, I have no objections."
"I''ve found the person for you, I''m leaving now."
With that, Qin Nuo headed towards the door.
Fu Bing instantly abandoned the reckless idea, carrying the unconscious patient, and quickly followed.
tter!!
Suddenly, the bandaged women on the ground began to move, desperately lunging at Qin Nuo and Fu Bing.
Fu Bing screamed in fright, instinctively using the patient as a shield.
But in the next second, the bandaged women were yanked back by iron chains.
As they hit the ground, the curse totem on the wall erupted with blood-red light.
Immediately, the bandaged women were engulfed in raging mes, their horrific screams echoing as they burned.
Soon, the thick smell of burning filled the entire room!
"The same curse," Qin Nuo murmured.
But these women were clearly not as terrifyingly tormented as the woman on the cross.
What on earth did she do?
Qin Nuo didn''t have the heart to think about it.
Because it was almost six o''clock.
Exiting the room with Fu Bing, the two didn''t linger, each heading in their own direction.
Qin Nuo arrived at the hall.
The other yers had already gathered there.
Soon, the nun appeared and began distributing the corresponding rewards based on performance scores.
Qin Nuo also received his pouch.
He opened it.
Compressed biscuits, water, white candle, ghost currency, nothing was missing.
"Looks like my score is decent," Qin Nuo murmured, putting the pouch away.
Compared to Qin Nuo, many others had poor performance scores.
Some yers were already starving, yet only received half apressed biscuit.
But more panic-stricken were those without a white candle!
Afterst night, they realized the importance of the white candle.
Without its me, they were almost certainly doomed to be eliminated!
No one knew what exactly appeared after nightfall.
What was certain was that it was a terrifying existence beyond their imagination.
"Why do I only have this?"
The voice of the blond man came, shaking his pouch and only a single ghost currency fell out.
"Your performance score is poor," the nun said.
The blond man knew what she meant, his face darkened, "That damn lunatic tried to kill me!"
"You want me to stand still and let him slit my throat?"
The nun remained expressionless, "I only know that you didn''tplete the duties of a caregiver."
With that, the nun turned and left.
The blond man''s handsome face twisted with rage as he stared at the departing nun.
But he didn''t pull out his revolver and shoot her in the back of the head.
He had a fiery temper, but he wasn''t brainless.
Though these nuns didn''t seem strong, his instincts told him that if he tried to kill them, something terrifying would happen.
"It''s just a game mode."
"Even without a white candle, I can survive until dawn!"
The blond man snorted coldly, flicked the ghost currency away, and turned to leave.
Qin Nuo watched him, pondered for a moment, and then left as well.
Dormitory building.
Qin Nuo returned to his dormitory floor.
The corridor was cold and empty.
Just as he stepped out of the stairwell, a voice came from behind, "Hey! Friend, we really are fated to meet here!"
Qin Nuo turned to see Fu Bing approaching with a look of surprise.
"How was your performance score?" Qin Nuo asked, not too surprised.
There were only twenty yers, all in the same dormitory building, so meeting on the same floor wasn''t unusual.
"Just barely passed."
"Phew, if it weren''t for your help, letting me get the patient back to the ward in time, I would''ve gotten a bad score, it was really close."
"Without a white candle, I definitely wouldn''t survive tonight!"
Fu Bing wiped his sweat and said.
"Good to hear."
Qin Nuo nodded, then added, "But you shouldn''t have mentioned having a white candle."
"Why?"
"Afterst night''s elimination mode, what do you think those without a white candle will do?" Qin Nuo asked.
Fu Bing thought for a moment and said, "Find a ce to hide?"
Qin Nuo was speechless, suddenly realizing that Fu Bing was quite simple-minded.
He even had a bit of Princess Yao Yao''s vibe.
For example, when they first met, Qin Nuo asked for his name.
Instead of giving his game ID, this guy blurted out his real name, "Fu Bing"!
And he still hadn''t realized it.
"I wanted to ask, how did you survivest night?"
"I had a white candle," Fu Bing replied.
"When you closed your eyes, didn''t you hear any sounds or anything tempting you to open your eyes?" Qin Nuo asked.
"I don''t know."
"After lighting the white candle, Iy down and fell asleep immediately. When I woke up, it was already daylight."
"After working all day, I was so tired that I couldn''t keep my eyes open. Once I fell asleep, not even thunder or drums could wake me, not even the teacher pulling my ears. My ssmates used to call me the sleep god!" Fu Bing scratched his head, a bit embarrassed.
Qin Nuo was speechless.
Goodness!
No wonder he was fine, he slept like the dead!
Those things in the darkst night probably shouted themselves hoarse and still couldn''t wake him, how unlucky for them.
This was a perfect example of how important good sleep is!
"You still haven''t answered what those without a white candle will do," Fu Bing said.
Qin Nuo smiled, "If you don''t have something, the best way is to take it."
"Like right now."
With that, Qin Nuo turned around, looking at both sides of the corridor, and said, "You''ve been hiding for so long, your legs must be sore, aren''t youing out?"
Chapter 74: White Candle Problem, Model Worker Example!
When Qin Nuo''s voice echoed through the corridor, several figures appeared on both sides.
Their expressions were cold, eyes fixed intently on the pouches hanging from Qin Nuo and Fu Bing''s waists. Without wasting words, they said, "We only want the white candles. Take the candles and leave, that''s it."
"Two white candles aren''t enough for the four of you, are they?" Qin Nuo chuckled.
"That''s none of your concern. We''ll find our own way."
"We''re all yers here. We don''t want to make things difficult for you. If you don''t hand over the candles, you''ll have to use your immunity token here."
"If you give us the candles, with a bit of luck, you might at least survive the night."
The four yers had made their murderous intent clear.
Targeting Qin Nuo and Fu Bing was simply because they were a level 2 and a **, the easiest targets in this instance.
Fu Bing took a step back, trying to negotiate, "There''s no need to resort to such extremes. Why don''t we all sit down and have a calm discussion?""I can''t believe an idiot like you has a white candle!" a tall yer sneered at Fu Bing, shaking his head.
Then, he turned his gaze back to Qin Nuo, "You..."
Bang!!
However, before he could finish his sentence, his head was struck heavily, sending him flying and briefly losing consciousness.
The others didn''t even have time to react to what had happened.
Then, everyone saw a pitch-ck stone fly back into Qin Nuo''s hand.
The next second, the stone was thrown out again.
"It''s a ghost creature!"
"Ghost creature against ghost creature, everyone, use your ghost creatures against him!"
A yer quickly pulled out a ck ruler, but it couldn''t withstand the ghost power of the Grave Ghost Stone. The ruler shattered instantly, along with his jaw, teeth flying.
He was thrown several meters away, twitching slightly as hey on the ground.
The rest were stunned.
When they saw the Grave Ghost Stone return to Qin Nuo''s hand, they suddenly realized.
"A horror-level ghost creature..."
"How does a level 2 newbie have such a ghost creature?"
The remaining two were filled with deep fear, scrambling away, not caring about their twopanions'' fate.
"Brother, where did you get that stone?" Fu Bing asked, amazed at the stone in Qin Nuo''s hand.
"Picked it up by the roadside."
Qin Nuo replied casually, not wanting to waste time here. "It''s getting dark. Let''s go back to the room, take a shower, and get a good night''s sleep."
The yer with the shattered teeth and dislocated jaw got up, mouth full of blood, mumbling something.
Qin Nuo ignored him and turned to leave.
Back in the room, Qin Nuo looked out the window as the sky gradually darkened from dusk.
The darkness crept in from the distant mist.
Qin Nuo quickly took out apressed biscuit to satisfy his hunger and replenish energy.
Then, without even taking off his caregiver uniform, hey down.
As the darkness fell over the asylum, the white candle was lit.
The faint candlelight was weak in the room, like a lone boat in a storm, ready to be swallowed at any moment.
But Qin Nuo didn''t think too much about it, trying to fall asleep as quickly as possible.
In the dark, Qin Nuo heard many eerie sounds.
It felt as if many unknown creatures had entered the room, seemingly sitting by the bed, staring at him.
Qin Nuo even imagined that the moment he opened his eyes, countless greedy eyes and terrifying ghost faces would appear in his vision.
Besides, he heard screams and cries for help from outside.
Maybe it was the voices of those yers without white candles, or perhaps it was just an auditory hallucination.
Qin Nuo didn''t think about it, as he was already drifting into sleep.
...
After an unknown amount of time, the clock on the wall chimed.
Qin Nuo opened his eyes, looking at the morning outside the window.
In fact, he had been awake for a while, just unsure whether it was still night or morning, so he hadn''t opened his eyes.
"Last night''s sleep was much better than the night before."
Qin Nuo stretchedzily.
Having mastered the technique of not opening his eyes in the dark, this so-called night nightmare mode didn''t seem too difficult.
Could the purpose of this mode be just to prevent yers from staying upte, so they can be energized for work the next day?
"Something went wrongst night!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
"What do you mean?"
"Look at the white candle on the counter."
Qin Nuo turned his head, his expression changing instantly when he saw that the white candle hadn''t burned out!
"Last night, the white candle went out halfway. Fortunately, those things of the night had already left the room, otherwise..."
Otherwise, he couldn''t imagine the consequences!
Qin Nuo examined the remaining finger-length of the white candle, his face darkening. "The quality of the white candle is faulty!"
Someone had tampered with it!
"The nun?" Qin Nuo immediately thought of them.
"Quite possibly," the Blood-Eyed Ghost replied.
"Maybe you did something to displease them, or perhaps there''s someone else."
"Something displeasing..."
The nuns wouldn''t be displeased with anything within their duties.
It could only be something outside their duties.
The only thing he did outside his duties yesterday was discovering the man in the restroom and the women in the meeting room.
"So this is a warning?" Qin Nuo frowned.
The more it seemed like this, the more it indicated that the nuns were problematic.
They must be involved in the main storyline of this instance.
"What do you n to do?" the Blood-Eyed Ghost prompted.
"Or maybe it''s not the nuns. Let''s not jump to conclusions. Take it one step at a time."
Qin Nuo got up, tidied himself, and prepared to leave.
Today, he had to go to the most terrifying Room 301 for a full attendance check on the patients.
This was undoubtedly Qin Nuo''s biggest challenge at the moment. The white candle issue could wait.
Just as he was about to leave, a familiar voice echoed in his ear.
"A brand new day, face it with a smile. Congrattions to the yers who survived the third day. You''re lucky to have made it through the first night. Of course, this also showcases a part of your strength."
"Afterst night''s game mode reshuffle, four yers have been eliminated."
"Rainy Night Without an Umbre, Indestructible Cockroach, Void Prince, and King Jiji were all killed by game NPCs, ending their instance."
"Good luck to the remaining yers. Keep up the effort!"
"Four more eliminated..."
Qin Nuo murmured, surprisingly finding that the list of eliminated yers didn''t include the Emperor''s name.
That blond man actually survived the night nightmare? Such impressive strength?
Qin Nuo was secretly amazed.
Of course, it could be that he was lucky, or perhaps he found a way to avoid the night nightmare!
Lost in thought, Qin Nuo stepped out of the room. As he went downstairs, he saw someone approaching from afar.
It was the blond man!
He was covered in injuries, half of his face stained with blood, and the revolver in his hand was deformed and broken.
It was hard to imagine what he had gone throughst night.
He tucked the broken revolver into his waistband, put on his caregiver uniform, cursed under his breath, and limped away.
Fu Bing happened toe down from upstairs, startled by the blond man''s injuries.
"He..."
Qin Nuo said to him, "This is what you call professional dedication."
"Injured like that, yet still clocking in for work. He''s our model worker, you know?"
The Blood-Eyed Ghost rolled its eyes, "Does it make you ufortable not to say something cheeky?"
Chapter 75: Fire Cloud Evil God, Grooming Woman!
Returning to the ward, Qin Nuo, as usual, first went to room 303.
To be honest, room 303 didn''t give Qin Nuo the feeling of a cold and sterile psychiatric ward; instead, it felt more like a warm and friendly family.
To outsiders, Xiao Yue and the others might seem a bit odd, but once you got to know them, you''d find they were just a bit mischievous, like children, with Mute Sister acting as the elder sister who took care of things early on.
"Rainbow Candy!"
As soon as Xiao Yue saw Qin Nuo, her eyes lit up, and she dashed over, incredibly fast.
Qin Nuo couldn''t dodge in time and was caught.
But this time, Xiao Yue slipped straight to the ground.
It turned out her sharp nails had all been clipped, and Mute Sister was over there, sweeping a pile of sharp nails into the trash can.
"Don''t worry, everyone who behaves gets some." Qin Nuo took out the candy and distributed equal portions to each person.Mute Sister came over and signed to Qin Nuo.
"Mute Sister is asking if you''re going to room 301 today?"
Qin Nuo nodded, "Today''s task is to conduct a hygiene check in room 301 and sign in the patient forms."
Bai Qu said, "Remember what Mute Sister told you yesterday."
"Once inside, just do your job without disturbing the patients in room 301, and you''ll be fine."
Qin Nuo nodded; he had nned to do just that. After all, who would want to create trouble for themselves?
"Alright, see you at noon." Bai Qu grinned.
Exiting room 303, Qin Nuo then went to room 302.
Compared to room 303, the atmosphere in room 302 was much more eerie.
The patients there were like puppets; they seemed to do nothing but listen to Yue Qin, spending the rest of their time sitting in the corners of their beds, their eyes vacant.
As soon as Qin Nuo entered, they stared straight at him. Although there was no malice, it still made his skin crawl.
Qin Nuo signed them in and then asked, "Where''s Yue Qin?"
No one responded.
A sound came from the balcony, like metal tools shing.
Then, the sliding ss door was pushed open, and Yue Qin walked in, an axe still embedded in her head.
"Ah, little brother, sister has finally been waiting for you!"
Qin Nuo looked at the fire axe in her head, blood still gushing, and forced a smile, "Sister Qin, your style is quite unique today?"
"Not bad, just an itchy scalp."
Qin Nuo nodded and helped Yue Qin sign in as well.
"You seem in good spirits today. Sister''s body is itchy again; how about using your little whip to make sister feel better?" Yue Qin leaned in, almost pressing her entire body against Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo stepped back and said, "I don''t have time now; I still have to sign in at room 301. Maybe next time."
Damn, it''s only been a day, and this woman is itchy again. Isn''t she too thirsty?
"Not fun, you''re already done so quickly. I thought you were more capable."
Yue Qin shook her head, bored.
"You''re going to room 301 today, right? To be honest, sister is really afraid you won''te out and won''t be able to enjoy that little whip anymore."
Qin Nuo blinked and suddenly said, "How about sister apanies me for a trip?"
Yue Qin''s strength was clearly not bad, having her apany him to room 301 would definitely feel safer than the Blood-Eyed Ghost.
"Generally, patients are not allowed to enter other wards; that''s a rule set by the Nun."
"Besides, if I go, it might cause you more trouble." Yue Qin said.
Qin Nuo asked, "What do you mean?"
"Not telling you."
Qin Nuo was helpless, stood up, and said, "Then I''ll go first. I''ll bring lunch over when it''s time."
"No appetite, no strength in my body, I really want to be tormented and whipped..."
Yue Qiny on the bed, her eyes mncholic, her thin shirt revealing her ample figure, making one''s throat dry, wanting to pounce like a wolf.
But Qin Nuo didn''t feel that way.
No one knew this woman better than he did.
No matter how strong a man was, in front of this beautiful woman, he was just amb to be drained dry!
Facing Yue Qin''sints, Qin Nuo was silent for a moment, then suddenly pulled out the Thorn Goddess''s Whip.
Before Yue Qin could react, a whip like ck lightningshed out and struck her hard.
The sharp teeth tore through her delicate skin!
The terrifying force sent Yue Qin flying, crashing hard against the wall.
On the balcony, there happened to be a sharp tile, and Yue Qin''s head mmed into it.
Blood sttered instantly on the tile!
Yue Qin''s head tilted, and she stopped moving.
Qin Nuo''s expression changed slightly, thinking something had happened: "Did I whip her too suddenly and kill her?"
This woman liked excitement; Qin Nuo suddenly whipped her just to satisfy her pathological little fetish.
Just as he was about to check, Yue Qin, with her head tilted, suddenly curled her lips into a satisfied expression and said excitedly, "That whip felt great, sister suddenly has an appetite now!"
Qin Nuo was speechless, didn''t respond, and walked out of room 302.
He pulled out the file for room 301, made some adjustments, and headed towards the innermost room 301.
Creak.
The door was gently pushed open, and Qin Nuo walked in, first stating his identity and purpose: "I''m the caregiver responsible here, here today to check the ward and sign in the patients."
There was no response from inside.
Because it was the innermost room, the light inside was even weaker, dim and eerie.
The air, however, wasn''t stuffy; instead, it was much fresher and more pleasant than the other two wards, with a faint fragrance lingering.
Inside the room, there were only three beds, and the space was muchrger, with a very peculiar arrangement.
A well-dressed woman sat at the dressing table, weaving her hair in front of the mirror, humming a little tune.
A little boy, about five or six years old, sat on the bed, holding a PS game console, engrossed in his game.
And an old man, wearing a tattered white vest, shorts, and flip-flops, sat on a stool on the balcony, crossing his legs, holding a newspaper, reading with great interest.
Qin Nuo looked at the old man, and an image of someone popped into his mind.
The Evil God of Fire Cloud?
The atmosphere in room 301 was extremely strange, even more so than room 302.
Three people of different ages and styles in one ward created an indescribable sense of discord.
The only thing they had inmon was that they treated Qin Nuo''s words as if they were air.
No one paid him any attention.
Qin Nuo had expected this and just wanted to do his job as a caregiver and leave quickly.
The Blood-Eyed Ghost had warned him on the first day.
The patients in room 301 were on the same level as Liu Meng''s parents.
If not stronger!
The strange atmosphere was apanied by a terrifying pressure.
Qin Nuo''s heart inexplicably sped up; he just wanted to finish his task quickly and get out!
"All patients are present,pleting the daily sign-in."
Qin Nuo checked the attendance form, then switched to a hygiene inspection form and started checking the bathroom situation on the balcony.
Fortunately, the bathroom was very clean!
This undoubtedly saved Qin Nuo a lot of trouble; at least he didn''t have to stay and clean up.
The old man reading the newspaper suddenly stopped shaking his crossed leg.
He lowered the newspaper a bit, raised his eyes, and nced at Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo was a bit nervous, pretended not to see, and continued with his work.
After a few seconds, the old man smiled, resumed shaking his leg, and continued reading the newspaper.
After tidying up the items on the balcony, Qin Nuo returned to the room, roughly checked the arrangement of the three beds with his eyes, and considered the inspectionplete.
Closing the work form, Qin Nuo said a quick apology for the disturbance and hurried towards the door, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
Finally, he could leave!
Qin Nuo ced his hand on the doorknob, about to turn it open.
At that moment,
The beautiful woman at the dressing table suddenly furrowed her brows.
She put down the eyebrow pencil, stopped her makeup.
Her phoenix eyes nced sideways, and a cold voice echoed in the oppressive room: "Stop."
Chapter 76: Yue Qins Divine Pit, Crisis Looms!
The woman''s voice made Qin Nuo pause his action of opening the door.
"What is it?" Qin Nuo looked at her and asked.
The beautiful woman turned her head, staring at Qin Nuo, covering her delicate nose, her pretty face showing a hint of coldness and disgust. "Why do you have her scent on you?"
Scent?
Whose scent?
Qin Nuo sniffed his caregiver uniform.
It hadn''t been washed for days, and indeed had a sour smell.
But who was she referring to?
"What is your rtionship with that woman?"The beautiful woman continued, her tone still icy, her beautiful eyes carrying a hint of hostility.
Hearing the word "woman," Qin Nuo suddenly understood.
Yue Qin!
Beforeing in, he had been approached by that woman, it could only be her scent.
But the scent was so faint that Qin Nuo couldn''t even detect it.
How could this woman smell it from so far away? Did she have a dog''s nose?
"She''s also my patient. It''s normal to pick up some of her scent while taking care of her," Qin Nuo exined.
When he mentioned "taking care," Qin Nuo''s expression became somewhat unnatural.
"Impossible."
"Any man who gets close to that perverted woman is basically a dead man."
The beautiful woman picked up an eyebrow pencil again, continuing to draw her brows.
Suddenly, she gave a wicked smile. "There''s only one reason you can get close to her: you''re her ything."
Qin Nuo frowned.
ything.
The word made him feel very ufortable.
"I''m just her caregiver, responsible for taking care of her, nothing more. You''re overthinking it," Qin Nuo said calmly.
"Oh, then tell me, how do you take care of her?" the beautiful woman asked with a cold smile.
Qin Nuo: "..."
Clearly, this woman also knew about Yue Qin''s perverted habits.
The rtionship between these two women was obviously not ordinary.
But judging from the tone, this rtionship was not friendly, but rather full of hostility!
The beautiful woman applied blush to her cheeks and said softly, "What I love most is destroying that woman''s things. I wonder, if I wrap your head as a gift and present it to her, what expression will she have when she opens it?"
"Whatever expression it is, I''ll definitely be happy!"
The beautiful woman looked in the mirror and suddenlyughed happily.
Then she turned her head and asked with a smile, "Am I beautiful?"
Honestly, the woman was already quite attractive, and with exquisite makeup, she exuded an ethereal beauty.
Such a beautiful woman asking such a question is something men are usually eager to answer.
But at this moment, Qin Nuo couldn''t say a word.
The woman''s gaze made him feel a strong killing intent!
At this moment, Qin Nuo finally understood why Yue Qin said that following her would only cause more trouble.
These two women clearly had a grudge against each other!
Damn it, Yue Qin didn''t mention a word about this.
Isn''t this setting him up?
"Run!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost suddenly spoke.
Qin Nuo reacted, quickly pulling the door open.
A red string wrapped around the doorknob, and in an instant, the entire door seemed glued shut, impossible to open.
Immediately, the beautiful woman''s jade-like fingers took a silver needle from the makeup box.
Seeing the silver needle, Qin Nuo''s face turned grim.
On the bed, the young boy seemed oblivious, putting on Bluetooth headphones and continuing to focus on his game.
Outside on the balcony, the old man continued to cross his legs and read the newspaper, as if nothing unusual was happening.
At this moment, Qin Nuo had a sudden inspiration.
"What reason do you have to kill me?"
"What?"
Qin Nuo''s sudden question made the beautiful woman''s fingers pause as she picked up the silver needle.
Qin Nuo continued, "The nun has a rule: if a caregiver hasn''t made a mistake or done anything wrong in their duties, and a patient kills the caregiver without reason, there will be punishment, right?"
In the mental hospital, there was indeed such a rule.
It was a protection rule for caregivers. Caregivers had to unconditionally fulfill all the patient''s needs.
And patients were not allowed to kill caregivers without any reason.
Of course, having a reason was simple enough.
For example, why did the previous caregiver die tragically in Room 302?
It was because he failed to meet Yue Qin''s perverted demands, which was a dereliction of duty, so Yue Qin wouldn''t be punished by the nun.
The beautiful woman''s eyes narrowed slightly.
Clearly, Qin Nuo''s words had reminded her.
A trace of apprehension appeared in her beautiful eyes.
Qin Nuo secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Indeed, no matter how powerful these patients are, they still fear the nun!"
But soon, the beautiful woman smiled again. "Finding a reason to kill you is not difficult at all."
She put down the silver needle, then stepped aside, raising her long, beautiful leg, resting her hand on her cheek, and said, "I''m missing an important cosmetic item from my makeup collection."
"As a caregiver, it shouldn''t be difficult for you to find the cosmetic item I need within a day, right?"
"If I don''t see what I want by this time tomorrow, your head will be delivered to the door of Room 302!"
"Ding, yer has triggered a C-level passive task: Help the patient in Room 301 find the required cosmetic item, time limit: 24 hours!"
Cosmetics!
Qin Nuo stepped forward, looking at the dazzling array of cosmetics.
He felt a wave of dizziness, like when he used to look at the periodic table as a child.
"Cleanser, eyeshadow, BB cream, eyebrow pencil, eyeshadow brush, blush brush..."
The key was that these items came in various brands, and each brand had several types!
Damn it, how was he supposed to know which one she was missing?
Qin Nuo felt overwhelmed!
The beautiful woman smiled slightly, knowing she had hit a blind spot for men with this demand.
For men, it was akin to suicide.
"I''ll be waiting for you to bring it tomorrow at this time."
"Of course, don''t naively think that staying out of this room will keep you safe. The room doesn''t restrict me."
"It''s just that I don''t like the air outside."
"If you dare not show up, I''ll find you wherever you hide."
As she spoke, the beautiful woman''s eyes fell on Qin Nuo''s right hand. "Including that ghost inside you, I''ll tear it to pieces!"
The Blood-Eyed Ghost said, "Why don''t you just give her your head now? You''re going to die sooner orter anyway!"
Qin Nuo replied, "I said, when ying a game, never give up until thest moment."
"Are you familiar with cosmetics?"
"I''m not familiar, but Yue Qin is."
The Blood-Eyed Ghost suddenly realized, "Brilliant, why didn''t I think of that?"
"Because you''re dumber than me."
"¡"
The beautiful woman looked at Qin Nuo, seemingly seeing through his thoughts, and said nonchntly, "I know what you''re thinking."
"Yue Qin never wears makeup. She''s even more unfamiliar with these things than you are!"
The Blood-Eyed Ghost was speechless. "Well, we''re still doomed."
Qin Nuo: "Not necessarily."
"I suddenly remembered I have a skill that can help!"
"What?" The Blood-Eyed Ghost was full of questions.
Qin Nuo remained silent, suddenly looking up, staring into the beautiful woman''s eyes, his deep gaze revealing a glimmer of brilliance.
"Host has triggered the passive skill¡ªEye of Analysis!"
Chapter 77: Blood Red Lipstick, Two Womens Grudge!
After activating the Eye of Analysis, a familiar voice echoed in Qin Nuo''s mind.
"Eye of Analysis: I once considered you the love of my life, why did you betray me? That night, the rain was heavy, and you walked carelessly, slipping off the balcony. I dragged your body back, blood staining the floor. I didn''t want to lose you."
"A few dayster, people asked where my boyfriend went. I said he went traveling. A friend noticed my lipstick was vibrant and beautiful, asking which shade it was. I smiled and said it was a gift from my boyfriend, with his scent all over it..."
After triggering the Eye of Analysis, Qin Nuo''s mouth twitched.
His quick mind instantly grasped the meaning.
Her boyfriend was likely dismembered by this woman.
The vibrant lipstick, all with his scent.
If he guessed correctly, the lipstick was probably made from her boyfriend''s blood.
This wasn''t just a scary girlfriend; she was a twisted one!Perhaps it was this twisted behavior that caused her to lose her mind and end up in this mental hospital.
Qin Nuo thought this woman might be normal, but she was just as crazy as Yue Qin!
"So, what this woman wants me to find is lipstick made from her boyfriend?"
Qin Nuo was a bit troubled. The hospital was so big, where would he find such a bizarre lipstick?
"Why are you staring at me like that? Am I too stunningly beautiful?" The pretty woman curled her red lips into a seductive smile.
Qin Nuo withdrew his gaze and said, "The patient''s needs are my responsibility."
"By this time tomorrow, I will ce your lost makeup in front of you."
"You suddenly seem very confident," the pretty woman said with a smile.
"At worst, I''ll die. Can I go now?"
Qin Nuo acted tough, then nced at the red string on the doorknob.
The red string was retracted and ced back into a delicate box.
Without saying much, Qin Nuo swiftly pushed the door open and left the ward.
The pretty woman''s beautiful eyes blinked, her gaze falling on an empty spot in the makeup box, her red lips slightly parted.
"Damn bitch couple."
...
Outside the room, Qin Nuo let out a temporary sigh of relief.
"Tsk, you''ve got yourself a real headache," the Blood-Eyed Ghost shook its head.
Qin Nuo replied, "Not necessarily, maybe I can use this toplete a C-level instance task."
"Do you know which makeup item that woman lost?"
"More or less."
Qin Nuo didn''t borate and returned to room 302.
Inside, Yue Qin was sitting on the balcony railing, swinging her long legs.
Hearing the door turn, Yue Qin suddenly flipped over and ran back barefoot.
"You came back from room 301 faster than I expected!" Yue Qin said while checking Qin Nuo''s body to ensure it was intact, then sighed in relief.
"Shouldn''t you say something?" Qin Nuo asked, staring at her.
"Say what?"
Yue Qin tilted her head and asked.
"There''s a woman in 301 who smelled your scent on me!" Qin Nuo said.
Yue Qin''s eyes widened, "And... you actually came back intact?"
"I came out intact, but notpletely whole," Qin Nuo replied.
"That woman wants me to find a makeup item. If I don''t put it on her beloved vanity by tomorrow, my head will be delivered to you."
"What kind of grudge do you two women have?"
Yue Qin fiddled with her messy hair and said, "We used to be roommates, and we both liked to snatch each other''s things."
"Then I stole her boyfriend, and I didn''t expect her to hold a grudge for so long."
"But honestly, her boyfriend was really pathetic, nowhere near as good as you!"
Yue Qin made a dismissive gesture, full of disdain.
"Don''tpare me," Qin Nuo said, though his expression was somewhat displeased, the words made him inexplicably pleased.
After all, no man wants to hear a woman say he''s pathetic; it''s too damaging to one''s self-esteem!
"Do you know what happened to that manter?"
"I don''t know, he disappeared."
"But, considering that woman''s methods, I think her boyfriend must have met a terrible fate."
Yue Qinughed, "I love seeing her break down."
"That man was pushed off the balcony by her, then possibly dismembered, and his blood made into lipstick." Based on the Eye of Analysis''s ount, Qin Nuo believed his guess was close to the truth.
"No wonder, that woman had so many boyfriends, and after each breakup, they all seemed to disappear."
"So they were dismembered!"
Yue Qin covered her mouth andughed, "Men''s blood, made into lipstick."
"Maybe she even ate those men, scraped off their fat, and made cakes?"
"What a twisted woman!"
Yue Qin clutched her stomach,ughing as if she had discovered a juicy secret between besties.
"Compared to her, I still think you''re more twisted."
Watching Yue Qin''s reaction, Qin Nuo thought to himself.
"The makeup item she wants me to find is lipstick made from her boyfriend."
"You two are so close, you should know where that lipstick is, right?" Qin Nuo asked.
"I don''t wear makeup, how would I know?" Yue Qin spread her hands.
Qin Nuo hinted, "Because of your scent, I got into this mess."
"I know, who knew that woman''s dog nose was still so sharp?"
"Besides, I never wear makeup; those things are just cover-ups for ugly people."
Yue Qin leaned against the wall, speakingzily.
Qin Nuo''s face darkened; he could tell Yue Qin didn''t want to help him.
After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, "If I die, I''ll burn that whip to ashes!"
Hearing about the whip, Yue Qin''szy demeanor perked up a bit, "I can help you, but for the next few days, whenever I need you, you have toe at my call."
Qin Nuo''s face turned ck.
This woman was roundabout, but this was what she wanted.
For the sake of the instance and task, Qin Nuo chose to submit to this woman''s demands, saying, "Alright."
Having gotten the answer she wanted, Yue Qin sat up straight and said, "A month ago, that woman made a mistake, and the Nun confiscated all her makeup."
"The lipstick you need should be among them."
"Moreover, that woman always puts a cartoon sticker on things she especially loves."
Qin Nuo frowned slightly, "So it''s with the Nun?"
"No."
"The Nun usually throws confiscated items in the storage room on the top floor, where someone is responsible for disposing of them."
"But it''s been a month, so it might have already been destroyed."
Qin Nuo''s face darkened.
This was still not good news for him.
"Don''t worry, at worst, you can stay here. With me around, that woman can''t touch you." Yue Qin patted her chest.
Qin Nuo shook his head.
As a caregiver, he couldn''t stay here forever.
Moreover, he had to go to room 301 daily for patient attendance, or he would face the Nun''s wrath and the game''s punishment.
For Qin Nuo, there was no difference.
In other words, there was no turning back now.
"I can only try my luck."
"Where is the storage room?"
"Top floor, room 601."
After Yue Qin finished speaking, she softly reminded, "The guy guarding the storage room is a pervert, be careful."
Qin Nuo was speechless.
Why are there so many perverts in this mental hospital?
Chapter 78: Garbage disposal, thank you, chubby guy!
Qin Nuo didn''t linger long in room 302 and quickly exited.
Checking the time, it was nearing twelve o''clock, so Qin Nuo decided to finish the lunch delivery first.
At the cafeteria, there weren''t many caregivers, so it was soon Qin Nuo''s turn.
As soon as the Multi-Faced Ghost saw Qin Nuo, he quickly put on a smile and hurriedly assigned him the patients'' lunches, giving him much more than the other yers.
"Not bad, you know what you''re doing," Qin Nuo nodded in satisfaction.
"Of course," the Multi-Faced Ghost squeezed out smiles from his various faces, looking particrly sinister and horrifying.
"Hope you''re not up to anything shady, or your head might end up with a few more nails."
The more ingratiating the Multi-Faced Ghost was, the more ufortable Qin Nuo felt. Leaving this remark, he took the tray and left.
After Qin Nuo left, the remaining four faces of the Multi-Faced Ghost turned gloomy, with malice shing in their eyes.Once all the food was distributed and everyone had left, a white, viscous liquid ghost emerged from the floor.
"Is it this rat?"
"That''s right, remember, follow the n."
The Multi-Faced Ghostughed sinisterly, "This way, that rat is sure to die tonight!"
"Aren''t you afraid of its revenge?" the Slime Ghost asked.
"Do you even know how terrifying those things after dark are? I don''t believe it can survive till dawn!"
"Even if it doesn''t die, it''ll be half-dead, posing no threat to me!" the Multi-Faced Ghostughed grimly.
The Slime Ghost said no more, dragging its sticky body away, leaving a long trail on the floor.
Meanwhile, Qin Nuo delivered the lunches back to the ward, distributing them to Xiao Yue and the others.
Mute Sister used signnguage to inquire about the situation in room 301.
Qin Nuo replied, "It''s fine, just three patients, no pressure."
Though he said this, he felt a wave of exhaustion, as even a single woman had pushed him to the brink.
Hearing this, Mute Sister was relieved and asked no more.
After distributing the lunches to room 302, Qin Nuo hurried to the sixth floor without further dy.
The sixth floor of the mental hospital didn''t have many wards, most were abandoned rooms used to store equipment and items.
"601..."
Qin Nuo walked down the corridor and found the door number he was looking for at the end.
"This is it."
Qin Nuo turned the doorknob and pushed open the door.
The space inside the room was evenrger than Qin Nuo had imagined.
Rows of shelves were disyed here, filled with various items, crushed andpressed into blocks of garbage, covered in viscous liquid, emitting a foul stench. §²
The sight stretched to the end of the room.
Qin Nuo called out, but there was no response, so he moved between the shelves.
tter!
At this moment, a series of noises came from the deepest part of the room.
Before he walked over, he saw a mountain of garbage being pushed out.
A fat ghost was sitting in the middle of the garbage mountain, grabbing piles of garbage with its big hands and stuffing them into its mouth.
After swallowing the garbage, the Devouring Ghost''s belly kept wriggling, then expelled block-shaped garbage from behind.
As it ate and expelled, it was like a highly efficient assembly line!
Qin Nuo found it utterly disgusting.
This hospital''s way of handling garbage wasn''t incineration but using a ghost''s stomach to process it!
He finally understood what those disgusting liquids on the shelves were.
"Hmm?"
The Devouring Ghost was feasting when its hand suddenly paused, and it nced sideways, spotting Qin Nuo in the corner.
"Where did this rate from? Get out!"
The Devouring Ghost scolded.
"I''m here to..."
"I said, get out!"
The Devouring Ghost''s face turned fierce, and with a flick of its hand, a massive metal te was hurled toward Qin Nuo''s head.
Qin Nuo raised his hand to block, deflecting the terrifying force and casually tossing it into the garbage mountain behind.
"Don''t get excited, I just want to say a few words, and then I''ll leave," Qin Nuo tried tomunicate.
"Rats aren''t worthy of speaking to me."
The Devouring Ghost looked at Qin Nuo with disdain, not even giving him a proper nce.
Qin Nuo''s expression darkened.
"I''ll help you take it down, two eyes, beat it up!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost spoke, unafraid of the Devouring Ghost.
"Peace brings wealth, I''m here to find something, violence won''t solve it," Qin Nuo said.
Then, he raised his voice and asked, "I want to ask, were the items confiscated by the nunst month already processed?"
The Devouring Ghost heard Qin Nuo''s words, touched its belly, and sneered, "Last month? Hmph, even yesterday''s garbage was crushed in my stomach and expelled."
"What do you think?"
Although Qin Nuo had prepared for the worst beforeing, hearing it firsthand still sent a chill through his heart.
"Oh?!"
At this moment, the Devouring Ghost seemed to have discovered something in the garbage, its eyes gleaming with excitement.
Its hamburger-likeyers of fat trembled, and its voice quivered with excitement.
It inserted its hands into the garbage and carefully extracted an item.
Seeing this, Qin Nuo''s mouth twitched.
It was a pair of pink women''s panties!
"Panties... panties... panties!!"
The Devouring Ghost exhaled a crimson gas from its nose, then brought it to its nose, taking a greedy sniff, showing a look of intoxication.
Qin Nuo: "..."
No wonder, even a perverted woman like Yue Qin called this Devouring Ghost a pervert.
As if finding a treasure, the Devouring Ghost held the pink panties like a cherished possession.
"This is the 99th treasure!"
The Devouring Ghost said gleefully, then stood up and ced the pink panties on a special shelf.
The reason it was special was because the shelf was very clean, and eachpartment wasbeled with a number, arranged in order from top to bottom.
The Devouring Ghost ced the pink panties in thepartmentbeled 99.
Then, it contentedly admired its collection shelf.
Qin Nuo looked over and saw it was full of women''s items.
And mostly private ones.
In the toppartment, Qin Nuo even saw a bloody, freshly used sanitary pad.
A familiar Red Dragon...
Qin Nuo''s expression was once again thunderstruck.
"This ghost is even more impressive than the fat nerd brothers of the Bloodstained Apartment!"
While he was speechless, Qin Nuo''s gaze suddenly fixed.
Then, his eyes focused on the treasured item in the 87thpartment on the far left.
A lipstick was ced there, with a prominent big-headed doll sticker on it.
No need to ask, this must be that woman''s lipstick!
Qin Nuo''s expression turned to astonishment, then he couldn''t help butugh.
Heaven was truly helping him; he could still find it!
Thanks to the fat nerd''s peculiar hobby!
The Blood-Eyed Ghost also saw the lipstick and said, "What do you n to do?"
"This is that dead pig''s treasure, you don''t n to persuade it to hand it over, do you?"
Qin Nuo smiled.
"I suddenly feel that using violence to solve problems might not be a bad idea after all!"
Chapter 79: Send the pillow again, the blood is too thick!
After admiring for a good while, the Devouring Ghost reluctantly withdrew his gaze.
He sat down and continued his garbage disposal work.
Qin Nuo suddenly walked over.
The Devouring Ghost nced at Qin Nuo''s clothes and said, "Are you a caregiver at the hospital?"
"So what if I am? Don''t think I won''t touch you. If you interfere with my work, I''ll eat you up and turn you into trash. The Nun won''t me me!"
"Brother, I mean no harm."
Qin Nuo spoke calmly, pointing to the collectibles on the shelf, "Are these your treasures?"
"Are you coveting my treasures?"
"If you dare touch them, I''ll smash you into meat paste!" The Devouring Ghost grabbed a heap of garbage and stuffed it into his mouth.Suddenly, he shivered all over and spat out all the garbage.
Then, he reached into the pile of vomited trash and pulled out a discarded tablet, which was cracked and sparking with electricity.
"Damn electricity!"
The Devouring Ghost smashed the tablet into pieces with a punch and pushed it aside, continuing to eat the garbage.
"Brother, I also have some collectibles. If you''re interested, I''ll give them to you as a token of friendship. How about that?" Qin Nuo continued to cozy up.
He thought for a moment.
Decided to start soft.
If it worked like with the Fat Homebody Ghost before, where a pillow did the trick, it would save a lot of trouble.
The world of fat nerds is united.
This logic can''t be wrong!
"You think your trash canpare to my collectibles?" The Devouring Ghost sneered, full of disdain.
He grabbed a handful of garbage and was about to shove it into his mouth.
But suddenly, his movements stopped.
Qin Nuo had taken out a body pillow featuring an anime character dressed as a maid, with a flower hairpin¡ªRem.
tter!
The garbage in his hand fell to the ground.
The Devouring Ghost stood there with his mouth open, eyes vacant, as if his soul had been taken away.
"Big brother, does this collectible catch your eye?" Qin Nuo asked.
The Devouring Ghost swallowed hard and asked in a daze, "You... you''re giving this to me?"
"If you can be my friend, why not part with it?" Qin Nuo smiled.
With that, he generously handed the Rem body pillow to the Devouring Ghost.
The delicate touch and faint fragrance seemed to break through dimensions, as if he was hugging the real Rem. The Devouring Ghost was instantly moved to tears.
"Good brother, say no more. From now on, if anyone dares to bully you, I''ll swallow them whole!"
"Except for the Nun."
The Devouring Ghost patted his chest, vowing earnestly.
After speaking, he turned around and reced his number one collectible with the Rem body pillow.
Clearly, this Rem body pillow hadpletely reced his most cherished collectible in his heart.
Qin Nuo saw this and felt more assured: "Since we''re friends now, friends should give and take."
"I''ve taken a liking to one of your collectibles. Could you give it to me as a gift?"
The Devouring Ghost hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Which one are you interested in?"
"The item in box 87," Qin Nuo smiled.
Trading half a lipstick for a Rem body pillow¡ªany fool would know that''s a great deal!
The Devouring Ghost had no reason to refuse.
Sure enough, the Devouring Ghost hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright, I''ll give it to you!"
"You can go get it yourself."
"No problem, big brother."
Qin Nuo replied, then said to the Blood-Eyed Ghost, "When dealing with a fat nerd, soft is definitely more effective than hard. In this area, I''m an expert."
The Blood-Eyed Ghost rolled his eyes and didn''t respond.
Box 87 wasn''t high up, so it was easy to reach.
Qin Nuo walked past the Devouring Ghost towards the shelf.
But just then, he suddenly felt a tearing wind behind him.
Qin Nuo quickly sidestepped, avoiding a fist thatnded where he had been, shattering the floor instantly!
Qin Nuo looked at the Devouring Ghost retracting his fist, his expression darkening: "Brother, what does this mean?"
The Devouring Ghost''s expression was indifferent as he said, "I suddenly thought, why should I be friends with you?"
"If I just smash you into meat paste, won''t the pillow be mine anyway?"
"This way, I can save one of my collectibles for exchange."
Qin Nuo was speechless.
Damn!
This ghost is smarter than the Fat Homebody Ghost!
Thinking this, Qin Nuo coldly said, "You''re a bit dishonorable, taking my stuff and thenunching a sneak attack!"
"Who do you me for being so stupid?"
The Devouring Ghost mocked.
"Didn''t someone say soft is more effective than hard?" The Blood-Eyed Ghost finally gloated for a moment.
"I''ll give you two pieces of Meat of Taisui, beat him to death!" Qin Nuo''s face turned cold. The Devouring Ghost''s shamelessness was intolerable.
After all the effort to curry favor, only to be met with a sneak attack!
It was the first time Qin Nuo encountered a rival in shamelessness.
"Deal!"
The Blood-Eyed Ghost had long been displeased with the other party and was itching for a fight.
"Die!"
The Devouring Ghost pped down, and Qin Nuo didn''t dodge, taking the p head-on.
The floor instantly caved in.
When the p was withdrawn, instead of a pool of meat paste, there was an unharmed Qin Nuo.
His right hand emitted arge amount of Ghost Aura, with numerous corpse spots appearing.
Two blood-red eyes protruded from the torn skin!
"What is this?"
The Devouring Ghost was stunned for a moment, and Qin Nuo suddenly charged forward,nding a punch on his face.
The terrifying Ghost Powerpletely twisted the Devouring Ghost''s jaw, forcing his body to retreat step by step, theyers of fat shaking madly like a pyramid.
St!
Blood spurted from his mouth.
Not giving him a chance to breathe, the second punch followed closely,nding on the Devouring Ghost''s stomach.
It was like a stone hitting the water, creating waves upon waves, the thick fat instantly caving in, rippling with waves.
The Devouring Ghost''s eyes bulged, his stomach churning, and then arge amount of yellow liquid spewed out.
The Devouring Ghost copsed into the garbage heap with just two punches, seemingly unable to get up.
Qin Nuo felt a great sense of satisfaction.
Should have done this from the start!
Why waste so much breath?
"Brother, wouldn''t it be better to just take the Rem body pillow? Why resort to shameless courting death?"
Qin Nuo shook his head and walked towards the shelf.
Boom!!
But soon, the ground suddenly shook.
Qin Nuo paused, a chill suddenly creeping up behind him.
Turning his head, he saw the Devouring Ghost standing behind him again.
He still bore the injuries from those two punches, but the Devouring Ghost didn''t care at all, smiling coldly: "Little rat, were you just tickling me?"
Qin Nuo was stunned.
He asked the Blood-Eyed Ghost, "What''s going on?"
The Blood-Eyed Ghost was silent for a moment, then said helplessly, "I said I could beat him, but I didn''t say I could kill him."
"His blood is too thick."
Qin Nuo: "..."
Chapter 80: Vatican healing, angel oil lamp!
A loud bang exploded in the room as the Devouring Ghost was beaten senseless by the Blood-Eyed Ghost, who had two eyes opened.
Yet, in the end, he always managed to stand in front of the shelves, guarding those treasures behind him.
"No one touches my treasures!" the Devouring Ghost roared.
Qin Nuo sensed that the Blood-Eyed Ghost was starting to tire, a result of his Ghost Power being constantly drained.
In contrast, the Devouring Ghost, with a bruised and swollen face, grabbed a pile of trash from the ground and stuffed it into his mouth. His whole body shook with fat, and his injuries visibly healed.
"Not much time left to waste here."
ncing at the time, they had been here for several hours, and it was almost six in the evening. The nuns would soon appear.
"This fat pig is blocking the way, any ideas?" The Blood-Eyed Ghost was helpless, enjoying the beating but unable to do more.
Qin Nuo''s eyes shed, and he suddenly said, "He might be afraid of something.""What?"
Qin Nuo didn''t answer, instead taking out the gloves of the Thunder King and putting them on his right hand. With human contact, the gloves were instantly covered in electricity, arcs of lightning crackling.
"Go!"
Qin Nuo said.
The Blood-Eyed Ghost didn''t ask, controlling the right hand to charge forward.
"A tickling punch."
The Devouring Ghost sneered, but when the punchnded on him, arge amount of electricity surged out, arcs crawling over his entire body.
The Devouring Ghost suddenly screamed in terror, his body convulsing, stepping back a few paces before copsing to the ground.
"Oh, so you really are afraid of electricity?" Qin Nuo said with a smile.
In truth, he had only guessed.
Earlier, when the Devouring Ghost spat out an electric tablet, Qin Nuo had taken note of it.
The Devouring Ghost twitched, staring at the white gloves with deep apprehension.
But to cover his weakness, he forced himself to say, "I''m not afraid of that thing, I just slipped!"
"Not afraid, then why are you shaking?"
The Devouring Ghost looked at his trembling legs, wanting to exin, but saw Qin Nuo already in front of him.
The white gloves were crackling with terrifying electricity.
"Brother, how about we have a heart-to-heart?" Qin Nuo asked with a smile.
The Devouring Ghost instinctively backed away in fear, asking subconsciously,
"What?"
Before he could finish, Qin Nuo''s right hand shot forward like a spear, piercing through the Devouring Ghost''s chest, deep into his heart.
"You!"
The Devouring Ghost couldn''t struggle in time, the white gloves inside him released a terrifying current, flooding through his organs like a torrent.
The Devouring Ghost convulsed violently.
Layers of fat shook, gradually turning charred.
In an instant, the smell of burning flesh filled the air.
When Qin Nuo withdrew his hand, the Devouring Ghost copsed to the ground, convulsing madly, eyes rolled back.
His mouth opened, releasing a puff of ck smoke.
"Smells like roast meat," the Blood-Eyed Ghost remarked.
"Thunder King Yang''s family heirloom is indeed powerful, perfect for dealing with the disobedient."
Qin Nuo said, turning to the shelves to take down a lipstick.
The lipstick carried a faint fragrance.
Half of it had been used, bright as blood.
"This is the real boyfriend lipstick, made from a boyfriend."
"Destroy the shelves!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost suggested.
Qin Nuo thought about it but dismissed the idea.
Destroying a fat nerd''s treasure trove was worse than killing him.
More importantly,ints from the nuns would be troublesome.
Leaving a Rem pillow for the Devouring Ghost, he believed the ghost would know what to do.
Qin Nuo didn''t linger, leaving the ce.
Soon, Qin Nuo returned to the third floor, heading straight for room 301.
He pushed open the door.
The Evil God of Fire Cloud was still on the balcony reading a newspaper.
The child on the bed was still engrossed in ying games.
The beautiful woman was at the vanity, adding touches to her makeup.
"Decided to deliver yourself?" the beautiful woman asked, looking at her stunning reflection in the mirror.
Qin Nuo said nothing, cing a piece of lipstick on the table.
The beautiful woman nced at it, her brows furrowing, "How could you possibly find it?"
She had only used it as an excuse to kill Qin Nuo, never expecting him to actually find it.
"It took some effort."
"After all, a lipstick made from one''s boyfriend isn''t easy to find, you can''t just grab any lipstick to pass it off," Qin Nuo said.
The beautiful woman''s expression darkened, "Did that crazy woman tell you?"
"No, she couldn''t possibly know."
Her face turned icy, as if her little secret had been exposed, and suddenly, her eyes filled with murderous intent.
Qin Nuo''s expression remained unchanged.
He met her gaze directly, "If you still want to kill me, go ahead, my life isn''t worth much."
I''ve got two lives, I can revive after dying.
But if a patient kills a caregiver, there will be a heavy price to pay!
"Are you threatening me?"
The beautiful woman smiled, but the smile held no warmth.
"I have a habit, every man I''ve killed, I make into my beloved cosmetics."
Qin Nuo remained silent, still expressionless as he looked at her.
If this woman decided to go all out, there was nothing he could do.
"Zhang Ya, let him go," the old man reading the newspaper suddenly spoke.
This surprised Qin Nuo.
Why was this old man helping him for no reason?
"Old man, are you meddling?" Zhang Ya looked at the old man coldly, unafraid.
"Last time, because of your willfulness, I was punished too. This old body can''t take a second time."
The old man put down the newspaper, his hollow eyes chilling.
The child on the bed, still ying games, also spoke up, "Sister, I don''t have a third game console. If the nuns confiscate it, there''ll be nothing to y." ?
"Will you y with me?"
The boy nced at Zhang Ya, a strange smile appearing on his pale face.
The beautiful woman''s eyes softened, picking up the lipstick and crushing it into ashes.
Then, she opened a drawer, took out another lipstick, and applied it to her red lips.
Qin Nuo saw the drawer was full of lipsticks, all with big-headed dollbels.
No surprise, these were all her boyfriends.
Qin Nuo watched Zhang Ya continue to focus on her makeup, understanding her intent, and left the room.
Back in the hallway, Qin Nuo felt the cold sweat on his back, soaking his vest.
The three ghosts in room 301 undoubtedly possessed Horror Level power.
Yet they were all extremely afraid of the nuns, raising many questions.
What did the nuns rely on to rule and manage the asylum?
Why did so many terrifying patients fear her presence?
As Qin Nuo pondered these questions, the game''s voice echoed in his mind.
"Congrattions, yer, onpleting the C-level instance task. Additional scores will be settled after the instance ends!"
"Congrattions, yer, on obtaining a main quest clue¡ªevery night in the asylum, strange singing can be heard in the corridors. Why not find the source and see who''s singing?"
"Congrattions, yer, on receiving the task reward¡ªFallen Angel''s Oil Lamp!" (Lighting themp dispels darkness and grants immunity to all mental disturbances.)
Chapter 81: Malicious trap, bold idea!
"An instance task this time, and I actually got a main quest and a game reward item at the same time?"
"The function of this oilmp seems simr to the white candle."
"Protection from mental interference, maybe after dark, you won''t hear those eerie sounds anymore. It feels like an enhanced version."
Qin Nuo murmured.
In any case, this oilmp was very useful to him, as he couldn''t guarantee that tonight''s white candle wouldn''t have any issues.
Then, Qin Nuo focused on the main quest.
This clue required him to explore after dark.
Leave the room after dark?
That''s just courting death!It seemed the clue he got wasn''t very practical for him.
Putting his thoughts aside, Qin Nuo checked the time.
There were only ten minutes left until six o''clock.
Just as Qin Nuo was thinking of heading to the first-floor lobby, the door of room 303 suddenly opened.
It opened just a crack, an eye looked at Qin Nuo, and then the door closed again.
It was Mute Sister.
Qin Nuo was taken aback; it was the first time he had seen Mute Sister open the door on her own, clearly indicating she had something urgent to discuss with him.
Qin Nuo immediately entered room 303, where Mute Sister was indeed waiting for him.
"Mute Sister, you were looking for me?"
Bai Qu said anxiously, "It''s something important."
"Xiao Yue is missing, she must have run outside!"
Only then did Qin Nuo realize Xiao Yue wasn''t there.
"When did this happen?" Qin Nuo asked hurriedly.
"Just now, in the blink of an eye, she was gone."
"Normally, Xiao Yue wouldn''t dare disobey Mute Sister and leave the room on her own, there must be a reason."
"The nun said we can''t go out during the day, so only you can go find her!" Bai Qu said.
"That troublesome girl!" the twins cursed, but after a nce from Mute Sister, they didn''t dare say more.
"I''ll go look, you all stay in the room."
Qin Nuo didn''t want to waste time and quickly left the room.
Before six o''clock, if a patient was missing from the managed ward and not in their room, it would be considered the caregiver''s negligence.
Punishment was inevitable!
And now there were only 3 minutes left until six o''clock!
In the corridor, many shadows were darting around; they were all caregivers.
In two days, the number of NPC caregivers had increased significantly, suggesting it wasn''t just about yers being eliminated.
Was it because there were more patients in the hospital?
The shadows were flowing towards the first-floor lobby as the end of their shift approached.
Qin Nuo moved against the flow, and fortunately, he found Xiao Yue on the fifth floor not long after.
Unfortunately, it was already 6:04, four minutes past the deadline.
Qin Nuo was helpless; he had already anticipated the unfavorable oue.
Xiao Yue was excited to see Qin Nuo: "Ha, you lost, give me the rainbow candy!"
Qin Nuo was puzzled: "Candy?"
"You said it, if I found you while ying hide and seek, you''d give me candy!" Xiao Yue said.
Qin Nuo paused, then asked in a deep voice, "Who took you out of the room?"
Xiao Yue tilted her head and said, "You did, you said you were taking me to a fun ce and told me not to tell Mute Sister and the others!"
Qin Nuo stood up, his expression darkening.
It was obvious someone had set him up.
The target wasn''t Xiao Yue, but him.
Impersonating him, they lured the patient out of the ward just before six, leading to the inevitable consequence of his negligence.
How many enemies had he made?
Just two or three, and the Multi-Faced Ghost had smiled so strangely at noon, making it the prime suspect!
Of course, it might not be it.
Xiao Yue tugged at Qin Nuo''s sleeve: "Are you thinking about where to hide this time?"
Qin Nuo: "I''m thinking your butt might get a spankingter."
"What do you mean?"
Qin Nuo didn''t answer, grabbing Xiao Yue and tossing her back into room 303 for Mute Sister to handle.
Mute Sister handed a doll to Qin Nuo.
"What''s this?" Qin Nuo knew Mute Sister''s nature; she wouldn''t give him a doll for no reason.
Bai Qu tranted the signnguage: "Mute Sister says you might be in danger tonight, and this doll might help you a bit."
Mute Sister nodded at Qin Nuo.
Clearly, she knew a bit about the game rules.
Xiao Yue leaving the ward on her own meant Qin Nuo would have to face the consequences.
Qin Nuo put the doll away, nodded, and said, "Thank you."
With that, he left the room and headed to the first-floor lobby.
The lobby had be deserted.
Only a nun remained there.
"Sorry, I''mte."
Qin Nuo arrived, looking at the nun''s emotionless face.
"Your performance today was poor," the nun said.
Qin Nuo frowned: "Just a little girl being mischievous, leaving for 4 minutes, and that''s deemed poor?"
The blond man''s performance was also poor, but he had killed a patient!
The rating was the same, but the nature was vastly different!
The nun didn''t exin, tossing a pouch to Qin Nuo.
Inside was only one piece of ghost currency.
Qin Nuo''s face darkened as he put the ghost currency away and said, "The white candle given to me yesterday had issues."
"The white candle won''t have issues."
With that, the nun left.
Qin Nuo''s frown deepened.
Was the nun targeting him?
Or was this just the game mechanics of the instance, increasing difficulty when yers made breakthroughs in the main quest?
Just like when Liu Meng had used all her efforts against him!
Qin Nuo went to the cafeteria, but the Multi-Faced Ghost was nowhere to be seen.
"Does it think I won''t survive the night and has hidden away in advance?"
After pondering for a moment, Qin Nuo returned to his dormitory.
He hadn''t nned on using the white candle again, as he couldn''t guarantee it hadn''t been tampered with, so it didn''t matter whether he had it or not. ?
"The oilmp''s effect is better, and more importantly, it''s portable."
"It seems the main quest clue I got isn''t entirely useless."
Qin Nuo had a bold idea.
Tonight, perhaps he could unveil the mysteries lurking in the darkness.
Of course, he needed to take some precautions first.
ying a game, after all, should be thrilling.
Especially when it''s a horror game!
Night fell quickly.
As darkness engulfed every corner of the asylum, the entire ce fell into a deathly silence.
Some things that only emerged at night quietly appeared, beginning to roam the asylum, hunting...
Inside the room, yers lit their white candles and closed their eyes.
Qin Nuo also lit the oilmp, its me brighter than the white candle.
Lying down, Qin Nuo ced Mute Sister''s doll on his chest, covering it with his hands, and then closed his eyes.
Time passed slowly.
Strangely, there were no eerie or horrifying sounds tonight.
No scratching at the door, no hot breath by his ear, no grasping at his ankles...
It seemed like he might get a good night''s sleep.
But Qin Nuo had other ns.
After waiting for a long time, the clock on the wall chimed twelve times.
It was midnight!
Taking a deep breath, Qin Nuo suddenly opened his eyes...
Chapter 82: Bathtub Woman, Strange Puzzle!
Opening his eyes, nothing terrifying happened.
The surroundings remained silent.
All he saw was the ceiling, not the imagined ghostly face.
Qin Nuo sat up, secretly letting out a sigh of relief.
When he saw the effect of the oilmp, he had this guess.
The sounds he heard before were fake, the warm breath by his ear, and the touch on his ankle were also fake.
But whether something would happen after opening his eyes was uncertain.
The oilmp could immunize against all mental disturbances, which gave Qin Nuo the courage to take a gamble.
Being able to open his eyes at night was a huge breakthrough in the game for Qin Nuo.The night in this instance was filled with unknown dangers and a sense of mystery, likely hiding a lot of clues rted to the main quest.
His gaze fell around the room.
On the walls, the terrifying burn marks that appeared after the first nightfall reappeared.
"Those weren''t illusions?"
Qin Nuo was slightly taken aback, got out of bed, and walked to the door.
The oilmp could dispel darkness within a certain space and had a windproof ss cover.
With these two points, even when night fell, Qin Nuo felt he could move around the asylum.
He ced his hand on the doorknob and gently turned it open.
The Blood-Eyed Ghost was astonished, "You''re this brave?"
Qin Nuo smiled slightly, "It''s a game, after all, you have to bravely try and explore!"
With that, he pulled open the door.
As soon as the door opened, a cold wind rushed in like a flood.
Outside the corridor, it felt as if it had moved to Antarctica, bone-chilling cold!
Qin Nuo stepped one foot into the corridor, and after no movement, he stepped out with the other foot.
On both sides of the corridor, it was pitch ck, as if both sides led to the abyss of hell.
"Hiss hiss..."
In the darkness, some eerie sounds came, something was moving in the night, quickly approaching Qin Nuo.
But soon, they stopped, the light from the oilmp seemed like a forbidden boundary they couldn''t cross.
The light gave Qin Nuo a certain field of vision and a great sense of security.
After confirming it was safe, Qin Nuo began to move along the corridor.
Ten minutester, Qin Nuo stood at the stairway on the fourth floor, looking puzzled.
"The main quest clue said that at night, the asylum would echo with singing, but I walked around and couldn''t hear any sound."
Despite saying this.
After walking around, Qin Nuo still made a significant discovery.
The hospital after nightfall became dpidated!
Walls, corridors, doors, all showed signs of damage, and many ces had burn marks.
The air was filled with the smell of burning.
"This hospital was once engulfed by a fire."
Qin Nuo thought to himself, he initially thought these were illusions, but the oilmp''s ability to immunize against mental disturbances meant what he saw was real.
After nightfall, it seemed some special ghost power presented the hospital''s past appearance once again.
"If my guess is correct, then everyone in this asylum likely died in that fire."
"Could the mastermind be the arsonist of that fire?"
If that''s the case, everything bes clear.
As Qin Nuo thought, he walked towards the end of the corridor.
Passing by a room door, he suddenly heard the sound of dripping water.
Qin Nuo raised the oilmp, the door showed room number 503.
He gently pushed it, and with a creak, the door opened by itself, it wasn''t locked.
Holding the oilmp in front, Qin Nuo entered the room.
The light revealed it was a caregiver''s room, things were messy, garbage was everywhere.
The sound source came from the bathroom, Qin Nuo pushed open the bathroom door, and as he stepped in, he stepped into a puddle of water.
The faucet wasn''t tightened, the bathtub was full, and water overflowed everywhere.
The bathtub seemed to have someone soaking in it, judging by the hair on the water, it should be a woman.
A pale hand dangled to the side, with obvious slit marks on the wrist, the blood had already dried.
"Wrist-slitting suicide?" Qin Nuo frowned slightly.
"yers wouldn''t be this bored."
"It could only be someone from the hospital, looks like a female caregiver, why was she so desperate, met a jerk?"
Seeing dead people in the Horror World was too normal, Qin Nuo wasn''t surprised, shook his head, nning to leave, but his gaze suddenly fixed.
Under the bathtub, there seemed to be something glowing?
Qin Nuo was stunned, used his hand to part the hair on the water, couldn''t see what it was.
"Youngdy, no offense, I don''t have any strange fetishes, just want to see what''s under the bathtub."
Qin Nuo said, looking at the woman''s upturned face.
Then, he reached under the water to feel around.
identally touching something, the delicate touch made Qin Nuo''s skin crawl.
Soon, he found the glowing object, just about to take it out, when ripples suddenly appeared on the water.
Then, the ck hair suddenly wrapped around Qin Nuo''s hand!
Qin Nuo jerked his head up, staring at the woman''s pale face.
Under the ck hair, the woman had somehow opened her eyes, filled with resentment, staring straight at Qin Nuo.
"I identally touched it, didn''t mean anything." Qin Nuo exined.
The woman didn''t speak, but her hair wrapped tighter.
Qin Nuo felt no pain, after all, his right hand was parasitized by the Blood-Eyed Ghost.
But at night, being entangled by a naked woman wasn''t ideal!
Qin Nuo tried to forcefully pull away, but the more he struggled, the tighter it got.
He even saw the skin on his right hand being torn, blood oozing out.
Qin Nuo''s face darkened, coldly said, "I was being polite, don''t think I''m easy to bully!"
With that, a blood eye tore open on Qin Nuo''s right hand, corpse spots appeared.
In the next second, the ghostly hair released as if electrocuted, allowing his right hand to be withdrawn from the water.
Under the ck hair, the woman''s eyes still stared at Qin Nuo, filled with overwhelming resentment.
Clearly, she wasn''t hostile to Qin Nuo.
But harbored malice towards all men!
No need to ask, she was likely hurt by a jerk.
Qin Nuo wasn''t buying it, pulled out the Grave Ghost Stone, coldly scolded, "Your death has nothing to do with me, re one more time, and I''ll make you vanish into thin air!"
Surprisingly, maybe scared by Qin Nuo, or sensing the terror of the Grave Ghost Stone, the woman retracted her resentful gaze, slowly closed her eyes.
Qin Nuo put away the Grave Ghost Stone, slowly backed out of the bathroom.
He retrieved the glowing object, a puzzle piece.
It was sparking, constantly burning, yet strangely, no matter how it burned, the puzzle remained intact!
And holding it, Qin Nuo felt no burning pain.
"What is this puzzle piece?"
Qin Nuo brought the puzzle closer to the oilmp''s light, though the size of an egg, he still couldn''t tell what it depicted.
Just as Qin Nuo pondered the puzzle piece, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind...
Chapter 83: Puzzle pieces, honest cooperation!
"Congrattions, yer, for triggering a main storyline clue fragment. Collect all fragments to obtain a crucial main storyline clue!"
(After nightfall, the fragments scatter to various corners. Piece them together for an unexpected discovery!)
"Another clue?"
Qin Nuo was taken aback. So this puzzle piece is actually a clue fragment.
A crucial main storyline clue¡ªhow crucial could it be? Could it lead to uncovering the mastermind behind the murders of everyone in the asylum?
But how many puzzle pieces are there?
Judging by the size of this piece and the scale of the image on it, there should be more than ten pieces.
Qin Nuo pondered for a moment, then picked up the oilmp and left the room without lingering.
Since he needed to find the fragments, the search area was undoubtedlyrger, and searching in the dark came with many dangers.Thus, obtaining such a crucial clue fragment didn''t bring much joy to Qin Nuo.
Through the woman in the bathtub, Qin Nuo roughly understood that the oilmp could only repel things in the dark and was ineffective against the ghosts already in the asylum.
As he walked down the stairs, Qin Nuo suddenly noticed that the sparks on the puzzle fragment in his hand were drifting in a particr direction.
"Is it guiding me?" Qin Nuo was stunned.
Could it be that when the puzzle pieces get close, they have a maic attraction?
This guess was likely correct. Qin Nuo quickened his pace, following the direction of the drifting sparks.
Arriving at a corridor in the South District, the sparks on the puzzle seemed to burn more fiercely.
It''s nearby!
Qin Nuo''s eyes lit up, and he continued forward.
At the corner, he suddenly heard some movement.
Soft footsteps¡ªsomething was approaching him!
Qin Nuo paused, then swiftly drew the Mountain-Cleaving Knife and shed backward.
The opponent reacted quickly, stepping back abruptly, but the de sliced through the fabric on his chest.
Only then did Qin Nuo see that the other person was also holding an oilmp.
"yer?"
The man hadn''t expected Qin Nuo to be so sharp, suddenly swinging a knife at him.
Looking at the cut on his chest, the dark-haired man frowned: "Good reflexes. If I hadn''t reacted quickly, I''d have to use my immunity token here!"
Qin Nuo raised an eyebrow at the matching oilmp in the man''s hand.
As expected, he wasn''t the only one able to move in the dark.
Thinking it over, it made sense. This instance had many high-level yers; they couldn''t all be less capable than him.
"You weren''t following me with good intentions, were you?" Qin Nuo sneered.
The dark-haired man chuckled: "I was just curious to see who the third yer able to move in the dark would be."
"The third one?" Qin Nuo was startled.
Just then, another light appeared in the distance, and someone walked over.
It was none other than the blond man.
Seeing Qin Nuo, the blond man was a bit surprised, but then he seemed to understand something and regained hisposure.
"Any discoveries?" The dark-haired man nced at the blond man.
The blond man remained silent, taking out an item that was the same puzzle fragment as Qin Nuo''s.
"It took some effort, but I got it." The man, with a bloodied hand, also took out a puzzle fragment.
In an instant, the three puzzle fragments reacted.
The two men then noticed the piece in Qin Nuo''s hand. The dark-haired man''s eyes lit up: "No wonder the puzzle kept reacting; you have a piece too!"
As he spoke, the dark-haired man licked his lips, his eyes filled with ill intent.
He and the blond man were partners.
Because they were both high-level yers and knew each other''s strengths, teaming up gave them a great chance toplete the main storyline of this instance!
But a Level 2 rookie yer? He had no intention of cooperating.
The pie wasn''t big, and no one wanted to share more than necessary.
Qin Nuo sensed the man''s intentions and said calmly, "What, nning to snatch my piece?"
"You might have to shed some skin for that."
"Rookie, where''s your confidenceing from? That knife?" The man sneered, pulling a double-barreled shotgun from his sleeve.
"You can try." Qin Nuo nced at the shotgun, a smirk on his lips.
"Lan Yan, you''ll regret it," the blond man suddenly said.
"Why?" Lan Yan frowned. He knew the Emperor''s character and wouldn''t joke around.
"Because he''s called Phantom."
Lan Yan muttered the name, initially confused, then his expression suddenly changed.
"The Phantom with a 16.0 rating?"
Lan Yan''s gaze returned to Qin Nuo, surprised: "Really a Level 2 rookie. I thought those guys were exaggerating!"
Qin Nuo looked at the blond man with some surprise.
Not many yers knew Phantom''s identity, mostly those in Jinzhou. These two were likely from Jinzhou.
No wonder this guy kept staring at him!
"Friend, I was just joking earlier, don''t mind!" Lan Yan quickly changed his tune, putting away the shotgun and smiling.
"Since you have a puzzle piece, are you interested in joining us?"
"I''m not interested in a partnership filled with hidden agendas." Qin Nuo shook his head.
Lan Yan opened his mouth, unsure of what to say.
The blond man spoke up: "You''re holding a puzzle piece, so you must be interested in the main storyline of this instance."
"Without each other''s puzzle pieces, no one can obtain the crucial clue."
"There are no eternal friends, only eternal interests. Since our interests align, what''s wrong with a partnership filled with hidden agendas?"
The blond man''s smile was stiff, clearly not used to smiling.
Qin Nuo pondered for a moment and said, "I like straightforward people like you, not hypocritical. Happy cooperation."
Lan Yan''s face was a bit unnatural, feeling like he was being subtly mocked.
The rtionship among the three seemed to be much more harmonious in an instant.
But they all knew in their hearts.
This cooperation would onlyst until the puzzle waspleted.
Once the puzzle was fully assembled and the crucial main storyline clue obtained, the cooperation would copse, and they would be enemies.
The MVP rating for the instance offered unimaginably rich rewards.
No one would be generous enough to want to share!
"Based on our estimates, there are likely 12 puzzle pieces, forming aplete frame."
"And these puzzle fragments only appear at night, meaning we have to search every night for the next few days."
The blond man said.
"The oilmp can onlyst about 24 hours, which is two nights. If we can''t find all the pieces in two days, we''ll have toplete instance tasks to get more oilmps."
Lan Yan added: "We''ll search separately. There are many ghosts in the dark that aren''t afraid of the oilmp, so be careful."
"After all, we don''t know if the puzzle fragments disappear or scatter elsewhere if a yer dies."
Qin Nuo just nodded. What they said wasn''t particrly useful information.
They still had to search, but with two more people, the efficiency would be faster!
"Then let''s continue searching separately. The oilmp''s light is precious, not for chatting."
The blond man stood up and said.
Qin Nuo looked at him and suddenly asked, "Last night, without a white candle or an oilmp, how did you make it till dawn?"
He remembered that in the morning, the blond man was covered in injuries, and now they were gone, clearly using some healing item.
The blond man''s expression turned indifferent, clearly not wanting to discuss this topic: "I have my ways."
"You saw those things in the dark, right? What exactly are they?" Qin Nuo asked, unconcerned.
Lan Yan also nced at the blond man, as he had always wanted to ask this question.
The blond man''s face was somber, his eyes still shadowed byst night''s events, and he replied coldly, "They''re true nightmares; you wouldn''t want to know..."
With that, he turned and left.
Chapter 84: Lonely elderly person, accompany to watch a movie!
After parting ways with the others, Qin Nuo continued to wander inside the hospital.
He checked the time; it was already nearing 2:30 AM.
"Not going home to sleep by 2:30 AM will lead to something terrifying," was a saying often heard from the elders in the countryside.
Qin Nuo didn''t want to believe in such ominous words, but perhaps it was psychological; he felt the light from the oilmp seemed to dim, and the visible space around him gradually became constricted.
"Just an illusion."
"The more you fear something, the more likely you are to see its shadow."
Qin Nuo shook his head vigorously to dispel these chaotic thoughts, focusing intently on following the guidance of the puzzle piece in his hand.
After circling the floor, the puzzle piece still showed no reaction.
"It seems the pieces aren''t that easy to find, and this hospital is muchrger than I thought."Holding up the oilmp, Qin Nuo muttered to himself, "Could there be a basement?"
Basements in horror movies always hide some earth-shattering secret or terrifying thing. Would he discover something if he went to the basement?
As Qin Nuo pondered this, he reached the stairwell.
Just as he was thinking of heading downstairs, the puzzle piece in his hand suddenly sparked and reacted, floating in a certain direction.
Qin Nuo looked up towards the fire exit at the end of the corridor.
After a moment of hesitation, he turned and walked in that direction.
Pushing open the fire exit door, he found a hidden room on one side of the passage.
"So lucky?" Qin Nuo was taken aback. He had just mentioned how hard the puzzle pieces were to find, and now here it was.
He gently pushed the door open, first raising the oilmp into the room, then poking his head inside.
The space inside was suffocating, cluttered with various items, andpletely airtight.
At the far end, there was a light.
It was a television that was on, possibly with a poor signal, as the screen kept flickering, seemingly ying some cartoon.
Opposite the TV, an old man was leaning back on a sofa, eyes closed, whether asleep or...
In the ustrophobic space with such a chilling scene, anyone with a weak heart would have turned and fled.
Qin Nuo wanted to leave too, but he couldn''t.
Because he saw what he was looking for.
Next to the old man''s remote control was a puzzle piece!
Qin Nuo hesitated for a moment, then quietly walked over, keeping an eye on the old man''s movements, reaching out with his right hand towards the remote.
However, just as his fingertips touched the puzzle piece, the old man''s hand, covered in corpse spots, suddenly grabbed Qin Nuo''s hand tightly, along with the puzzle piece and the remote.
The grip was strong!
Like an iron mp, his entire hand quickly became engorged with blood.
Qin Nuo frowned, "Grandma, I just saw you were asleep and wanted to help you turn off the TV, no other intentions."
The old man didn''t move, nor did she open her eyes.
With no other choice, Qin Nuo had to let the Blood-Eyed Ghost intervene.
A blood eye appeared on the back of his hand, yet the old man still showed no intention of letting go.
The ghost power of the blood eye did not intimidate the old man!
Just as Qin Nuo was puzzled, a game notification suddenly echoed in his mind:
"Congrattions, yer, for triggering a D-level instance task¡ªThe olddy has always been lonely, watching TV alone at night. Apany her to finish watching a movie. Task duration: 30 minutes!"
"Once the viewing time ends, the task will bepleted!"
Qin Nuo hadn''t expected to trigger an instance task from an unfamiliar olddy in the middle of the night.
But the task didn''t seem difficult.
Just apanying the olddy to watch TV, though the process might be a bit dull.
"Childless and lonely, she is indeed quite pitiful."
Qin Nuo epted the instance task.
The olddy''s withered hand suddenly released its grip.
The puzzle piece was right there, but Qin Nuo had no intention of grabbing it and running.
Not to mention failing the instance task, deceiving an olddy¡ªwho knows what terrifying things might happen?
The olddy opened her eyes, her eye sockets pitch ck.
Qin Nuo pulled over a chair and sat down, saying, "Grandma, I''ll watch TV with you for a while, but I''m not sure about the TV..."
Before he could finish, the broken TV suddenly returned to normal, the screen stabilizing, switching from a cartoon to a movie.
The movie was shot in a documentary style, not as dull as Qin Nuo had imagined, nor were there any horror scenes.
It was a silent film, with no sound throughout, relying solely on bodynguage to convey the story.
It depicted the daily life of a family of three, with warm and harmonious scenes.
But one day, the husband returned home with a troubled expression, and the old mother hurriedly made dumplings to fill her son''s stomach.
However, the husband was in a bad mood and had no appetite. When the old mother asked what was wrong, the son didn''t answer and turned into his room.
Soon, the scene shifted to the room, where the husband and wife were arguing about something, while the baby cried incessantly.
Finally, the wife proposed something with a firm attitude, leaving the husband no choice but to talk to his mother in the living room.
The old mother looked sad but nodded, and was subsequently sent to a nursing home by her son.
At this point, Qin Nuo could somewhat discern the plot.
The husband went bankrupt, and the elderly mother was a burden, so she was sent to a nursing home, at least supported by a pension.
Qin Nuo rubbed his chin.
The plot wasn''t as dull as he thought.
It was quite engaging, with a bit of a soap opera vibe.
Qin Nuo continued watching.
After the olddy was sent to the nursing home, the son''s financial situation didn''t improve, and he was constantly troubled. Eventually, thepany went bankrupt, leaving him in debt, with creditorsing to collect, sshing red paint, and defacing the entrance.
The creditors'' relentless pursuit nearly drove the man insane.
The once happy family of three became impoverished and fragmented.
Every night, the wife argued about divorce, wanting to take their son away.
However, the husband, driven to desperation, suddenly thought of a way out.
The next day, they brought the olddy back from the nursing home, treating her well, and even discussed taking her on a trip.
The scene then abruptly shifted to the trip.
The son carried the olddy on his back, touring the scenic area, the two chatting andughing, even though the son was sweating profusely, he didn''t let his mother walk on her own.
On a rock, the son set his mother down, took a sip of water, and let her gaze at the scenic mountains and rivers.
The son also took a sip of water, came to his mother''s side, said something that made herugh continuously.
But at that moment, the son suddenly pushed the olddy off the cliff, rocks tumbling down, the son stood up, expressionless, while his wife ran up excitedly, even peering over the cliff to confirm the olddy had fallen...
Then, the scene shifted.
To a yearter.
The couple used the mother''s insurance money to revive thepany, bing more prosperous.
The family of three returned to their previously harmonious life.
One night, the wife snuggled in her husband''s arms, watching TV.
But then, the lights suddenly went out.
The TV in the movie switched to a ck-and-white film.
A documentary-style film...
Qin Nuo''s expression suddenly became a bit unnatural.
Because the opening of the movie was the same as the one he was watching now!
The couple stared at themselves on the TV, their expressions gradually turning fearful.
When the olddy was pushed off the cliff by her own son, the TV turned to static, with blood gushing out from the screen...
The couple turned pale with fright,pletely unaware of the blood-soaked, hunched shadow silently appearing behind them.
A pair of withered hands reached for the couple''s terrified, twisted faces...
The scene abruptly stopped.
Finally freezing on two blood-soaked corpses...
Qin Nuo swallowed hard, turning his head stiffly.
Beside him, the olddy had somehow be a bloody, mangled figure.
A chilling cold suddenly appeared at the back of Qin Nuo''s head, as if a hand was also gripping his head...
Chapter 85: Women’s eyes, settle the accounts after autumn!
The chill at the back of his head startled Qin Nuo.
He whipped around, but there was nothing behind him.
Ssh...
He heard the sound of flowing water, and when Qin Nuo turned his head, he saw the TV was overflowing with blood, thick ck blood continuously spilling out from the screen.
This scene, wasn''t it exactly like the image on the TV?
The old man remained indifferent.
The terrifying injuries on his body made it hard to look directly at him.
"What is going on?" Qin Nuo asked with a frown.
"These are all illusions.""If you leave the chair out of fear, it would be really bad." The Blood-Eyed Ghost warned.
"Calm down, that''s what you need to do now!"
The Blood-Eyed Ghost''s words snapped Qin Nuo back to reality. He looked up at the clock on the wall.
There were ten minutes left for the instance task.
Leaving the seat would mean failing the task, and it might even anger the old man, ending up like the couple in the TV.
In the TV, the couple''s bodies were hanging from the ceiling fan, like cured meat, but what dripped down wasn''t oil, it was ck blood.
Perhaps because he kept staring at the TV, Qin Nuo felt the air around him bing eerie.
A constant chill came from behind, as if a pair of hands were wrapping around his neck, ready to lift his head at any moment.
"Is the oilmp not working because of the instance task?" Qin Nuo nced at the still-burning wick.
The blood spilling from the TV had reached his feet, sticky and ufortable.
Gradually, Qin Nuo''s mind inexplicably became restless and uneasy.
His eyes kept darting to the clock on the wall, each tick of the second hand felt like an eternity to Qin Nuo.
His body felt like it was being bitten by countless ants, making the urge to stand up and escape stronger and stronger.
In the TV, the ceiling fan was still spinning, but the two bloody corpses were gone.
Then, two bloody hands reached out from the TV, two naked, bloody bodies struggling to crawl out.
"The way to ovee fear is to face it head-on."
"The more fearless I appear, the less they can do, the more frustrated they be!"
With this thought, Qin Nuo straightened his neck, ring at the two bloody figuresing towards him.
"If you have the guts, kill me!"
Qin Nuo even said this, not out of bravery, but to give himself some courage.
The bloody figures kept crawling towards Qin Nuo, intestines and organs dragging on the ground, but no matter how terrifying, they never touched Qin Nuo. ?
The bloodied hands that seemed like they would tear Qin Nuo apart waved in front of him but never grabbed him.
He didn''t know how much time had passed.
The clock on the wall suddenly chimed.
Three-thirty in the morning.
Half an hour had finally passed!
Qin Nuo suddenly looked up, the two bloody figures had disappeared, there was no ck blood flowing on the ground, the TV flickered with static, the frame covered in dust, no trace of blood ever spilling out.
"Congrattions to the host forpleting the D-level instance task, additional scores will be settled afterpleting the instance!"
Qin Nuo let out a sigh of relief.
This was entirely a psychological battle!
"This instance task, regardless of the horror or difficulty, shouldn''t be D-level, is it because of the enhanced nightmare mode?" Qin Nuo muttered.
On the sofa, the old man still sat peacefully, eyes closed, a slight smile on his lips.
It seemed as if he was satisfied and peacefully fell asleep after someone apanied him through a movie...
If these were all illusions.
Then the recorded movie ying on the TV, was it real or fake?
Qin Nuo didn''t have the mind to dwell on this question, he focused on the old man''s movements, carefully picked up the puzzle, then got up and quietly left the room.
Closing the door, Qin Nuo held the oilmp, the two puzzle pieces in his palm automatically fitting together like mas.
Once the pieces were joined, the background became recognizable.
It was an eye, judging by the eyshes, a woman''s eye.
With a distinct smoky makeup, the eye exuded a kind of sinister charm!
"A woman''s puzzle?" Qin Nuo raised an eyebrow.
"What crucial clue could a woman provide?"
"Looking at the woman''s eye, there''s always a strange feeling, not like a mental hospital patient, but rather a magical feeling."
Of course, these were just Qin Nuo''s self-entertaining analyses.
After all, from just one eye, he couldn''t deduce anything useful.
Qin Nuo put away the puzzle pieces and continued to walk around the mental hospital with the oilmp.
Half an hourter, the puzzle showed no further activity.
Qin Nuo checked the time, there were still two hours until six in the morning.
The realism of the Horror World was very high, hunger and fatigue would affect the body''s stamina.
Of course, this feeling was minimal.
So, nearly two hours of sleep was enough for Qin Nuo.
As for the other two guys, Qin Nuo didn''t have the mind to worry about their physical condition.
Returning to the third floor of the dormitory building, Qin Nuo had just reached the staircase when he heard a dull thud.
It seemed like something had fallen.
Qin Nuo approached with the oilmp, something in the darkness seemed to quickly leave upon seeing the spreading firelight.
No need to ask, it was those things in the dark.
Qin Nuo paused, stepping on a hand at his feet, he set down the oilmp, revealing a headless corpse.
A head rolled over from the front.
"It''s a yer."
Qin Nuo murmured, looking at the caregiver uniform on the corpse.
Clearly, every night there were yers without white candles or oilmps, but not everyone was like the blond man, able to survive the night from the terrifying things in the nightmare.
This yer was evidently strong too, but unfortunately, still fell short by over an hour, unable tost until dawn.
Qin Nuo returned to his room with the oilmp.
The faint white light on the horizon gradually drove away the night.
The things in the darkness of the mental hospital gradually retreated.
Qin Nuo ced the oilmp on the cab, theny down, after a thrilling night, his exhausted body and mind quickly drifted into sleep...
...
At six, the clock on the wall chimed six times, and Qin Nuo opened his eyes.
The morning light pierced through the misty haze, flooding the room, the darknesspletely driven away.
Qin Nuo got up and extinguished the oilmp, after a night, the wick was half burned.
To be safe, if there''s a chance to trigger a passive task today, Qin Nuo still hoped to acquire another oilmp.
Although the night was a bit thrilling, there were gains as well.
But another clue said that there would be singing at night, why didn''t he hear itst night?
Or was it somewhere else that he didn''t hear?
Qin Nuo didn''t have time to ponder these questions, the morning was tight, he got up, tidied his clothes, and prepared to go out.
Today, the caregiver''s work was one thing.
There was another important matter.
And that was dealing with the guy who set him up!
The Multi-Faced Ghost couldn''t escape responsibility, besides it, there should be other aplices.
Qin Nuo didn''t like to provoke others unless others provoked him.
If the Multi-Faced Ghost insisted on courting death, it couldn''t me him!
Chapter 86: Dangerous woman, longing day and night?
In the early morning, the air inside the mental hospital was damp and cold.
The clock on the wall, like a death knell, forced the caregivers to get up and start their monotonous daily work.
As he stepped out and went downstairs, Qin Nuo heard the game broadcast in his mind: two yers were eliminated today.
The number of eliminations was steadily decreasing, which was expected. With only 20 people in total, and this being the fourth day, half were already gone. The remaining yers were all smart, having figured out the game''s tricks, and likely had ways to ensure their survival.
Holding the sign-in sheet, Qin Nuo went to the third floor and, as usual, first visited Room 303.
This time, when he opened the door, Xiao Yue, unusually, didn''t rush over but crouched in the corner of the bed, cautiously watching Qin Nuo.
Apparently, because of yesterday''s incident, she must have been scolded by Mute Sister.
The twins and Bai Qu immediately stood up upon seeing Qin Nuo, pretending to be obedient as they said, "We went to bed on time yesterday, very well-behaved!"
Qin Nuo smiled, took out some candy, and distributed it to them, then ced some on the notebook beside Xiao Yue.Although Xiao Yue was sulking, her body was honest, quickly grabbing the Rainbow Candy and stuffing it into her mouth.
Mute Sister gestured, and Bai Qu eagerly acted as a trantor: "Mute Sister asks if anything happenedst night."
"Everything was fine. It was stuffy at night, so I went out for some fresh air," Qin Nuo replied with a smile.
Mute Sister''s expression changed slightly, and she gestured again.
Bai Qu said, "Mute Sister asks if those things in the night didn''t harm you?"
Qin Nuo replied, "They''re afraid of firelight."
With this simple and clear sentence, Mute Sister understood, but she continued to gesture.
Bai Qu: "Mute Sister says that the things in the night are not just one kind, and firelight doesn''t necessarily mean safety. It''s best not to go out at night."
"Not just one kind?" Qin Nuo was slightly taken aback.
What did that mean?
Mute Sister clearly couldn''t reveal too much, only advising Qin Nuo to be careful.
Qin Nuo didn''t ask further,pleted the sign-in sheet, and left Room 303 to go to Room 302.
As soon as he entered Room 302, Qin Nuo saw a pool of fresh blood on the floor, feeling a bad premonition.
Sure enough, Yue Qin''s addiction had red up, her body itching terribly, and she was using a knife to torment herself. Seeing Qin Nuo, there was no escape.
There was no choice; Yue Qin had helped with Zhang Ya''s matter, and besides, this was part of the caregiver''s duties.
So, Qin Nuo reluctantly took out a thorny whip and gave this perverse woman a good thrashing.
Amidst her excited cries, Qin Nuo felt sore all over, supporting his waist as he emerged from the blood-soaked bathroom, looking thoroughly exhausted.
"Why does it feel like this woman''s demands are getting bigger?"
Qin Nuo muttered, putting away the bright red whip, took out the attendance sheet, checked it off, and then left Room 302.
Finally, he went to Room 301.
This room still put a lot of pressure on Qin Nuo.
The three people inside continued doing their own things¡ªreading newspapers, ying games, putting on makeup¡ªas if that''s all they did every day.
The boy and the old man weren''t particrly hostile towards Qin Nuo, or rather, they just treated him as if he were invisible.
But Zhang Ya, while applying her stunning makeup, let her beautiful eyes asionally fall on Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo was all too familiar with this kind of look.
"Danger!"
This woman clearly didn''t n to let him off.
Qin Nuo cursed inwardly, what grudge, what enmity?
If you have a grudge with Yue Qin, can''t you two women just schedule a time to fight it out?
Being watched by Zhang Ya, this unpredictable woman, was like having a time bomb strapped to him.
"I need to find a way to deal with this."
Qin Nuo pondered, apart from the Nun, the only ones who could handle this woman were the child and the old man in the room.
Gaining the favor of these two as backing would likely make Zhang Ya restrain herself a lot.
But the other two weren''t easy to deal with either.
Perhaps if he displeased them, the oue could be even worse than with Zhang Ya!
Looking at the child on the bed and the old man on the balcony, Qin Nuo, drawing on his experience from the Bloodstained Apartment, suddenly had a few strategies.
But he wasn''t in a hurry. After checking off the attendance sheet, Qin Nuo left the room.
There were two hours left until the patients'' lunch time.
For these two hours, Qin Nuo was free and intended to go to the cafeteria to settle some scores with a certain someone.
In the cafeteria, the Multi-Faced Ghost''s massive, tumor-like body writhed, swallowing a body whole.
Then, it leaned against the corner, seemingly digesting.
Before long, a new human face appeared on its surface.
A face filled with agony.
"The fifth face is finally restored..."
The Multi-Faced Ghost, thinking of the faces destroyed by Qin Nuo, was filled with overwhelming resentment.
"I really want to tear that kid apart with my own hands, but unfortunately, I don''t have the chance."
"Those things in the night must have devoured himpletely, right?"
The Multi-Faced Ghost muttered to itself, looking up to see it was almost noon, and started walking towards the window.
Reaching the window, it saw someone sitting there, waiting for a long time.
The Multi-Faced Ghost was puzzled, and that person slowly turned around, revealing a stiff and eerie smile.
The moment it saw Qin Nuo''s face, the Multi-Faced Ghost was scared out of its wits, the five human faces on its body twisting madly, and its massive, tumor-like body shaking violently.
"You... how are you still alive?"
Qin Nuo grinned, awkwardly, his mouth almost splitting to his ears: "Dead, but I''m here for revenge, aren''t I?"
As he spoke, Qin Nuo''s face began to melt, small holes appearing on his face like a piece of melting cheese, extremely terrifying.
But the Multi-Faced Ghost instead calmed down.
Then, the five human faces turned fierce, speaking angrily: "Wax Ghost! Are you looking for death?"
Just as it finished speaking, the Qin Nuo before itpletely melted into a pool of white viscous liquid, which bubbled up, revealing a pair of eyes, chuckling eerily: "A little rat scared you like this?"
The Multi-Faced Ghost''s face twitched, not arguing, because it was indeed afraid, and said in a deep voice: "If there''s another prank like this, I''ll definitely kill you!"
The Wax Ghost said nothing, just opened a wide mouth, smiling eerily.
"Are you sure he didn''t have a white candlest night?" the Multi-Faced Ghost asked again, uneasily.
"Those white candles were made by me, what do you think? Last night I saw with my own eyes, that unlucky kid only pulled out a piece of Ghost Currency."
"Last time, the white candle had a trick, letting him escape by luck. This time, without the white candle, how do you think he survived?" the Wax Ghost said.
"It''s unlikely for a caregiver to survive the night until dawn," the Multi-Faced Ghost said.
"You''re too paranoid."
"It''s almost your work time, I won''t argue with you." The Wax Ghost''s viscous body moved, preparing to leave.
But just then, the Multi-Faced Ghost saw something, its face turning cold and angry: "Again, do you really think I have no limits?"
The Wax Ghost stared at him, eyes puzzled: "I don''t understand what you mean."
"Really, why don''t you turn around and see?" the Multi-Faced Ghost said with a calm face.
The Wax Ghost''s eyes rotated on its body, and it saw someone standing behind it, without knowing when.
Qin Nuo, with his hands behind his back, bent slightly, showing a friendly smile, and greeted warmly: "You two, I heard you''ve been eagerly waiting to see me?"
Chapter 87: My brother and I cant chat!
The moment the voice was heard, the five faces of the Multi-Faced Ghost twisted again. This voice seemed to strike straight into the depths of the soul.
Who could imagine that even as a ghost, one could still be scared like this by a human?
The Wax Ghost looked at Qin Nuo with astonishment, not even having the time to react.
"How... how did you escape from those things in the dark?" The five faces of the Multi-Faced Ghost spoke, each with a different expression and tone, but all trembling with fear.
"Take a guess."
Qin Nuo smiled mysteriously. "If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t have known how thrilling the hospital nights could be. So, I prepared some gifts for you."
"And of course, for your friend here too."
Qin Nuo nced sideways, his friendly gaze falling on the Wax Ghost.
The Wax Ghost might have been sweating from fear, asyers of wax began to peel off its body.In the next second, its body suddenly dispersed, quickly diving toward the funnel.
Qin Nuo didn''t give it the chance. With both hands hidden behind his back, he gripped the Bone-Crushing Hammer and the Human Bone Nails.
Two Human Bone Nails shot into the Wax Ghost''s body like bullets.
The ghostly thunder attached to the Qingyin Stone rampaged inside the Wax Ghost, its piercing screams echoing in the cafeteria.
Soon, the screams subsided, as if two branding irons had been thrust into cheese, and the Wax Ghost melted into a pool of wax.
Qin Nuo turned his head. The Multi-Faced Ghost had already shrunk into a corner, but its mouth remained defiant.
"Rat, you''re only relying on that hammer and those nails. Without them, you''d just be a snack for me!"
Qin Nuo casually tossed the hammer and nails aside and said, "Come on, the snack is waiting for you!"
The Multi-Faced Ghost intended to provoke Qin Nuo, not expecting him to be foolish enough to discard his protective tools.
In an instant, the five faces of the Multi-Faced Ghost revealed their ferocity, lunging at Qin Nuo with bared fangs and ws.
Qin Nuo raised his right hand, and as two blood-red eyes emerged, he released a terrifying Ghost Aura, his palm gripping one of the faces of the Multi-Faced Ghost. ??
Sensing the strangeness of Qin Nuo''s right hand, the ferocity on the Multi-Faced Ghost''s face vanished, and it quickly pleaded, "Big brother, I was just joking, wait..."
Before it could finish speaking, Qin Nuo''s right hand yanked forcefully.
The face was torn off in an instant, with blood and flesh sttering everywhere.
The face was connected to a heart, which was also pulled out!
Without its body, the face rapidly decayed, and the once lively heart quickly withered and shattered!
The Multi-Faced Ghost fell to the ground, disregarding the torn face, and fled towards the door in panic.
But before it got three meters away, Qin Nuo pped it harshly to the ground.
Then, with a move like a ck tiger digging out a heart, he forcibly extracted a heart from the Multi-Faced Ghost''s body, crushing it into pieces with a squelch.
The Multi-Faced Ghost howled madly, but Qin Nuo pinned it to the ground, making it resemble a vited maiden, struggling helplessly and crying out.
Ghostly hands reached out, trying to grab Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo drew out the Mountain-Cleaving Knife with his left hand, swiftly chopping off the arms like peeling fruit.
"How many hearts did you spit outst time?" Qin Nuo asked with a smile, nting the Mountain-Cleaving Knife beside him.
The Multi-Faced Ghost dared not say how many.
Qin Nuo stopped asking, thrusting his right hand into its body, roughly pulling out heart after heart.
One by one, the shattered hearts were tossed aside, quickly weathering away.
In the end, the Multi-Faced Ghost was left with only one face, a smile more hideous than a cry.
With four faces gone, the Multi-Faced Ghost was utterly weakened, lying there, begging for mercy.
Qin Nuo stopped as well, still needing this creature to distribute lunch, sparing itsst life, though it would never fully recover.
Qin Nuo stood up, realizing that quite a few caregivers had arrived in the cafeteria, just as the clock on the wall struck twelve.
The yer caregivers who entered were all dumbfounded.
What the hell happened?
Qin Nuo looked at their stunned expressions and smiled calmly, "Just a little personal grudge."
"Don''t be fooled by how fiercely we fought; we''re actually buddies. When we disagree, we like to settle it with a fight, but it doesn''t affect our friendship at all!"
With that, Qin Nuo kicked the Multi-Faced Ghost,ughing, "Buddy, why are you still pretending? You know how light my touch is, don''t you?"
The yers'' mouths twitched.
Feeling somewhat insulted.
Even a fool wouldn''t be so easily deceived, right?
Multi-Faced Ghost: "..."
It wanted to get up, point at the pile of rotten hearts pulled out, and shout, "You call this a light touch?"
But under Qin Nuo''s deadly smile, its strong survival instinct made it wisely shut its mouth, struggling to get up.
With itsst remaining face, it forced out a strange and ugly smile, "Yes, we''re just having a little spat, nothing to make a fuss about."
Qin Nuo kicked it again, "Buddy, time to get to work. Everyone''s waiting for their lunch."
The Multi-Faced Ghost swallowed its humiliation and grievances, heading to the window to start distributing lunch to the yers.
Qin Nuo remained indifferent, picking up a tray and lining up at the end of the queue, as if nothing had happened.
At the door, Lan Yan watched everything unfold, coughing lightly before saying to the blond man, "Good thing you stopped mest night, otherwise... it would''ve been a tough fight."
In truth, Lan Yan felt she couldn''t beat the Phantom, but saying this saved a bit of face.
The blond man bluntly pointed out, "There wouldn''t have been a tough fight. Your oue would''ve been simr to that ghost''s."
Lan Yan awkwardly rubbed her brow, "You really don''t know how to chat!"
After collecting his lunch from the cafeteria, Qin Nuo first delivered it to rooms 303 and 302, then to 301.
Inside the room, Qin Nuo ced the tray down, "Ladies, I''ve put your lunch on the table."
Despite his words, the three in room 301 treated Qin Nuo like air, ignoring the so-called lunch.
Zhang Ya unexpectedly nced at the contents on the tray, sneering, "Disgusting food."
Qin Nuo replied ndly, "It''s what the hospital provides. You canin to the Nun."
Zhang Ya''s smile grew even more radiant, "Do you think using the Nun to pressure me will make me afraid?"
Qin Nuo shrugged indifferently, "Afraid or not, I don''t know. My life is right here. You can kill me now and take my head, maybe even turn it into your beloved cosmetics."
"To die at the hands of a beauty, I suppose that''s eptable."
Zhang Ya, after hearing this,ughed softly, covering her mouth, seemingly amused or perhaps angered.
"Quite the smooth talker, aren''t you?"
Though Zhang Ya said this, the murderous intent in her eyes was unmistakable.
Qin Nuo, not wanting to continue this pointless conversation with the crazy woman, picked up a broom to clean the bathroom on the balcony.
Ten minutester, after finishing his chores, he hung the broom on the balcony and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
His gaze fell on the balcony, where the Evil God of Fire Cloud was shaking his flip-flops, reading a newspaper, and humming a little tune.
Qin Nuo looked around the room, where a little ghost was engrossed in ying a game. After pondering for a moment, he picked up a mop and walked toward the old man...
Chapter 88: Crazy Courting Death, infuriated and exasperated!
Crash!
Qin Nuo wrung out the mop and pretended to clean the floor beside the old man. His gaze discreetly fell on the open newspaper. Seeing the content, Qin Nuo felt reassured and returned to the bathroom after finishing the cleaning.
After a short while, Qin Nuo came out again and approached the old man. He bent down, also looking at the old man''s newspaper, nodding asionally.
The old man squinted his eyes and rasped, "Young man, are you provoking this old man?"
Qin Nuo quickly replied, "It''s a misunderstanding, sir. I noticed the newspaper you''re reading is from a few years ago. I have some recent ones here. Would you like to take a look?"
As he spoke, Qin Nuo took out two newspapers and ced them on the table. Although the yer''s level wasn''t high yet and many items in the system store were still locked, some simple things could be purchased.
Delivering newspapers had a simple purpose: to curry favor! Gaining the old man''s favorability, the reward of Angel''s Kiss was secondary. The main goal was to build a closer rtionship with the old man and make Zhang Ya behave herself.
The old man didn''t respond or speak. Qin Nuo didn''t mind. If the gesture was useful, great; if not, he considered the few ghost currency spent as charity.
With this thought, he turned and entered the room. Inside, Qin Nuo continued pretending to tidy up the sheets, moving to the child''s side. While tidying the bedside table, his gaze fell on the boy''s gaming console.Seeing the game screen, Qin Nuo was a bit surprised. IWanna! Of all games, this little brat chose to y this epic torture game. What drove him to such despair?
Qin Nuo himself had been tormented by this game, but fortunately, he only smashed three keyboards and oneputer screen. The boy''s skills weren''t high, stuck at the sixth level. Qin Nuo nced at the death count, his mouth twitching slightly.
1092 deaths! They say practice makes perfect, but Qin Nuo suddenly felt that using this phrase on the boy was the greatest insult! After 1092 deaths, even a pig should have passed the level, right? How dumb could this kid be? Could it be that he was sent to this hospital because he was too stupid?
What Qin Nuo admired was the boy''s extraordinary mental resilience. Despite dying repeatedly, he could calmly start over. The smooth surface of the gaming console showed it hadn''t been smashed!
This mindset, Qin Nuo was willing to call it the strongest!
"Brother, are your eyes not good? Do you want me to take them out for you?" the child suddenly spoke, asking in a childish voice while ying the game.
It was clear that Qin Nuo had been staring at the gaming console, and the child was starting to get annoyed.
Qin Nuo cleared his throat and said, "I can y this game a bit too. Seeing you''ve been stuck for so long, how about I help you pass it?"
The child asked, "Are you very good?"
Qin Nuo touched his nose and smiled slightly, "Not bad."
The little brat suddenlyughed, "Alright then, I''ll give you one life. Help me clear all the remaining levels."
One life...
Qin Nuo shook his head, "One life is too hard, even impossible."
The child''s smile turned cold, "But you just said you were an expert. Clearing one level doesn''t make you an expert, does it?"
"How about this, every time you die, I''ll take one of your eyeballs or a toe, so you''ll have many lives!"
Qin Nuo: "..."
"Why don''t you keep ying? I won''t disturb you."
"What, you said you''d help me y, and now you''re backing out? Are you fooling me?"
"If so, I''ll get angry, and the consequences of that are very serious!"
The child''s smile grew colder, his eyes mocking. There was no trace of the innocence that should belong to someone his age.
Seeing this look, Qin Nuo suddenly understood. This little brat knew his intentions from the start. Those simple, humble words only angered him. He was deliberately finding a reason to vent on Qin Nuo!
Damn! How could a child this young be so crafty?
Qin Nuo cursed inwardly, realizing he had dug a hole for himself to fall into.
"Congrattions, Host, for triggering a D-level instance task: Help the innocent child in room 301 clear the game within two hours!"
As Qin Nuo cursed, the game''s voice sounded. Great, another instance task.
Over there, Zhang Ya''s beautiful eyes also nced over. Seeing Qin Nuo''s situation, she smiled brightly, continued her makeup, and hummed a little tune.
"What are you thinking, brother? Let''s start." The child tossed the gaming console to Qin Nuo, then pretended to be obedient.
Seeing Qin Nuo unmoving, the child tilted his head and continued smiling, "Hurry, start!"
This smile was eerily simr to the death smile Qin Nuo had shown the Multi-Faced Ghost a few hours ago. It could only be said that karma was real.
With a get-out-of-jail-free card and a life-saving straw, losing a life here as a lesson was no big deal, but being manipted by a little brat was truly embarrassing!
Qin Nuo''s face darkened slightly. Suddenly, he recalled ying chess with the oldndlord, a situation somewhat simr to the current one. Qin Nuo''s eyes brightened; perhaps he could try that method again?
Anyway, he had many lives, so why not take a risk!
Qin Nuo stared at the gaming console and sighed, shaking his head.
"Are you giving up, brother? Then I''ll have to punish you!" The child''s smile was chilling.
Qin Nuo said, "No, what I mean is, you''re really bad at this."
The child was stunned, thinking he misheard.
"What did you say?"
"You''ve died over a thousand times just on the sixth level. Even if you brought in a donkey, after so many deaths, its hooves would randomly step through the level."
"I can''t imagine how dumb you must be. Of course, it''s not your fault. It might be hereditary from your parents. Your parents must be really dumb!"
The child''s ashen face twitched a few times. Zhang Ya also looked over in shock.
Clearly, they didn''t expect that at this moment, Qin Nuo wasn''t begging for mercy but was brazenly mocking!
Was he in a hurry to court death, rushing to reincarnate?
The child was obviously infuriated, his face growing even grayer, "Yes, big brother is the best."
"Now, one life, clear all the levels. If you die once..."
The child opened his small mouth, revealing a bright red tongue, "Your head will be twisted off and used as my pillow!"
Qin Nuo felt a chill down his spine. At this point, even if a Bodhisattva came, it might not end well.
"Demon''s Eye: The host sessfully angered the terrifying little ghost, gaining 130 points of malice, and is rewarded with top-tier gaming talent!"
The long-awaited voice finally echoed in his mind. Qin Nuo''s eyes lit up. Just like with the oldndlord, whatever he needed came. Was the system really manipting things behind the scenes?
Qin Nuo didn''t dwell on it, straightened his back, picked up the gaming console, and smiled lightly, "Actually, I was joking with you earlier. Clearing all levels with one life is basic operation for a normal person!"
"This game is as simple as Tetris, so you know how dumb you are, right?"
The child finally couldn''t hold back, gritting his teeth in anger, "Say one more word, and I''ll twist your neck right now!"
Chapter 89: Call each other brothers, three clues!
Faced with the child''s breakdown, Qin Nuo said nothing and began to operate.
The child leaned behind Qin Nuo, hiding a meat cleaver in his hand, staring gloomily at the game screen.
The intense murderous intent in his eyes seemed ready to strike at any mistake Qin Nuo made.
Despite his initial unease, the moment Qin Nuo''s fingers touched the buttons, his mind suddenly calmed.
It was as if he had rehearsed a million times, avoiding all possible deaths, with the best, or rather the most perfect, way of operating appearing in his mind.
His brain controlled his fingers with such skill that he didn''t even need to think; the muscle memory that appeared out of nowhere allowed him to perform astonishing maneuvers.
The blocky character named KID weaved through dense traps and bullets, each jump seemingly leading to a dead end, yet miraculously surviving every time.
Moreover, Qin Nuo''s muscle memory helped him cleverly avoid many hidden traps he wasn''t even aware of.
In a level with countless ways to die, he always managed to find that one path to survival!His proficiency was almost heartbreaking!
The child''s eyes, initially malicious, gradually turned to astonishment, disbelief, and finally, incredulity!
His small mouth hung open, eyes wide with shock.
About five minutester, Qin Nuo put down the game console, checked the time, and sighed helplessly, "I''ve regressed, taking over five minutes. s, I''m getting old and my reflexes are slowing!"
With that, Qin Nuo tossed the console back to the child, smiling, "See, I told you this game was easy. Clearing all levels with one life is a piece of cake!"
Despite his words, Qin Nuo''s mind was still in a daze.
When he picked up the console, he felt as if his hands weren''t his own, and as he yed, he cleared all the levels.
This time, the child didn''t be angry at Qin Nuo''s words but instead asked in a dazed manner, "Is this... really basic operation?"
"Basic operation."
"Can you teach me?" The child''s dull eyes showed a hint of admiration.
"Of course, fulfilling a patient''s needs is part of a caregiver''s duty." Qin Nuo smiled slightly, having achieved his goal.
"Ding, congrattions to the Host forpleting the D-level instance task. Additional scores will be settled afterpleting the instance!"
"Received instance reward¡ªa Fallen Angel''s Oil Lamp!"
"Received main quest clue¡ªwhy not check out room 606 on the top floor? There might be some unexpected discoveries there~"
The oilmp reward was expected, but the main quest clue was a surprise.
The clue about the nighttime singing hadn''t been found yet, and now there was another one.
Plus, the key clue to the puzzle was still in progress...
A total of three clues!
Qin Nuo scratched his head, feeling a bit troubled.
It seemed he would be busy tonight.
Qin Nuo''s words also delighted the child, who threw away the knife and stuck it into the bedside cab.
"As long as you can teach me to be as awesome as you, you''ll be my brother. You call me big brother, and I''ll call you little brother. If anyone bullies you, just tell big brother!"
The child jumped onto the bed, patting Qin Nuo''s shoulder, speaking in a childish yet mature manner.
Qin Nuo blinked, "Isn''t the title reversed?"
"How could it be? I protect you, so you must call me big brother!" The child said with a cheeky grin.
Qin Nuo was speechless.
Fine.
You''re strong, I''ll listen to you. Calling you big brother is better than calling you dad!
Over there, Zhang Ya''s pretty face turned somewhat gloomy.
She could see through Qin Nuo''s n to curry favor, build rtionships, and use this to pressure her.
Qin Nuo nced at the balcony, checked the time, and said, "I''ll teach you tomorrow. It''s gettingte, I should go."
"Okay, little brother, see youter." The child picked up the game console again.
Qin Nuo was speechless but said nothing, heading to the door.
As he left, he gave Zhang Ya a gentle smile before exiting the room.
Zhang Ya''s face darkened as she crushed the boyfriend edition lipstick in her hand.
Afterward, Qin Nuo visited the other two wards, and as the sky darkened, nearing nightfall.
At six o''clock sharp, Qin Nuo arrived at the lobby to collect his daily wages.
Food, Ghost Currency, white candle.
The white candle could only keep you safe through the night.
The oilmp, on the other hand, allowed you to move in the dark.
These two items essentially divided yers into two tiers.
One was the lower-tier yers who barely survived until the game ended.
The other was the higher-tier yers focused on the main quest.
Holding the white candle, which was useless to him now, Qin Nuo thought for a moment and walked towards someone.
"Damn it! Without a white candle, I won''t survive until dawn tonight. I was hoping toplete this instance, get the reward, and exchange it for money to find a wife for my parents!"
Today''s Fu Bing had a stroke of bad luck, spilling a patient''s lunch while going upstairs, and only received a disgusting can of herring.
Now, he was squatting at the stairway, looking utterly dejected.
Qin Nuo approached, handing over the white candle with a smile.
"I have an extra white candle, do you want it?"
Fu Bing was initially stunned, then said gratefully, "Brother, you''re like a living Bodhisattva, saving me twice. How can I ept this?"
Despite his words, his hand reached eagerly for the white candle.
Qin Nuo suddenly pulled back his hand, smiling, "It''s not free."
Fu Bing opened his mouth, "But I don''t have much Ghost Currency."
"A friendly price, whatever you have." Qin Nuo said calmly.
In reality, white candles were in high demand. No one could guarantee they''d have a candle to survive the night tomorrow, so yers would fight fiercely over one.
The reason he gave it to Fu Bing was simply to repay the expensive pack of cigarettes he got from him earlier. The Ghost Currency was just a token gesture.
After giving two pieces of Ghost Currency worth less than 10, Fu Bing held the white candle like a lifeline, overwhelmed with gratitude, repeatedly thanking Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo said nothing, waved his hand, and headed towards the dormitory building.
Night quickly fell, and the corridors of the psychiatric hospital grew deste. yers were filled with joy, sorrow, and unease, waiting for the night toe.
Inside his room, Qin Nuo calmly lit the oilmp andy down on the bed.
This time, Qin Nuo didn''t close his eyes. Even though the oilmp''s light was limited, he kept his eyes open, staring at the dark corners of the room.
As darknesspletely engulfed the hospital, many unknown things began to awaken, starting their hunt once more...
Chapter 90: Nuns soul, terrifying White Shadow!
The night is always mysterious, easily stirring one''s curiosity.
The me of themp wick flickered slightly, the light dimming and brightening intermittently.
After confirming the effect of themp wick, Qin Nuo got out of bed, tidied up a bit, and then pushed open the door to leave.
The corridor remained dark and cold, the hospital that was tidy during the day now appeared dpidated and ruined, with countless burn marks spreading across the walls.
"No sign of the nuns at night. Do they need rest too? Or are they also wary of the things lurking in the darkness?" Qin Nuo muttered.
He held three clues in his hand now.
One led nowhere.
One was still being pursued.
So Qin Nuo decided to start with the clue he obtained during the day.The clue was not vague, directly pointing to Room 606, which undoubtedly saved a lot of effort.
Qin Nuo followed the staircase upwards until he reached the top floor.
He had visited the sixth floor of the hospital during the day; it was dull, with no wards, mostly abandoned rooms storing misceneous items.
Returning at night, the dull feeling was gone, reced by a bone-chilling cold.
As Qin Nuo walked along the corridor, he suddenly heard footsteps and silently drew out his Mountain-Cleaving Knife.
At the corner, a light suddenly appeared.
Then, Lan Yan came over carrying an oilmp. Seeing Qin Nuo, he paused and then smiled, "How wasst night''s haul?"
Qin Nuo did not hide anything, replying ndly, "Spent half an hour watching a silent film with an olddy who had no children, and got a puzzle piece."
Lan Yan was stunned, "That''s it?"
"What else? It was a heartwarming family movie, very healing."
Qin Nuo touched his nose.
Lan Yan couldn''t help but curse, "Damn, I got a piece too, but it was worlds apart from yours."
"I had to wash the hair of a disfigured female ghost, the process was disgusting, I scratched off her entire scalp, and even now, I want to chop off my own hands!"
Thinking ofst night''s reward, Lan Yan shivered, the psychological shadow lingering all for a puzzle piece.
"So, you have two pieces, I have two pieces, why don''t we piece them together and see what it forms?" Lan Yan suggested.
Qin Nuo shook his head, "This is a three-person coboration, let''s wait until the other person is present."
"Alright." Lan Yan shrugged, clearly understanding that Qin Nuo didn''t trust him.
Qin Nuo walked away with the oilmp, but after a few steps, he noticed Lan Yan was following him with his ownmp.
Qin Nuo turned to look at him, his gaze unfriendly.
Lan Yan exined, "I need to go somewhere, this corridor is the only way."
Qin Nuo hesitated, unsure if Lan Yan was telling the truth or had ulterior motives.
Lan Yan sighed, "If you don''t trust me, let me go ahead!"
Qin Nuo stepped aside, indicating for him to go first.
However, in the end, they both suddenly realized they were heading to the same ce¡ªRoom 606!
Lan Yan''s expression was peculiar, "Did you also get that clue?"
Qin Nuo was speechless; Room 606 turned out to be a shared clue!
"Let''s go in together then, shared clues mean the information won''t becking."
Lan Yan extended the oilmp forward, only to see the door handle wrapped in chains.
He pulled out a double-barreled shotgun, but before he could fire, there was a dull thud as Qin Nuo smashed the entire door handle.
"The gunshot is too loud, it might provoke the things in the night," Qin Nuo said.
Lan Yan coughed awkwardly, silently putting away the shotgun.
The two entered the room one after the other, and by the light of themp, they saw that the space was small, cluttered with various items.
At the far endy a corpse.
Strangely, the skin of the corpse seemed to have been peeled off and then sewn back on, with dense stitches crisscrossing the body, reconnecting the patches of skin. ???
Moreover, the corpse was dressed in a ck nun''s robe.
A nun from the hospital!
Qin Nuo and Lan Yan''s expressions changed slightly.
The nuns had always been the most mysterious presence in this instance, and herey a nun''s corpse, tortured so cruelly!
Qin Nuo raised the oilmp, illuminating the wall, revealing arge blood-red curse totem painted on it.
It was identical to the two totems seen earlier in the restroom and meeting room!
"The dead in the Horror World always seem strange," Lan Yan muttered, wanting to reach out and touch the corpse, but ultimatelycking the courage, he withdrew his hand.
Who knows what might happen if he touched it? The ghost might just spring back to life!
Qin Nuo was puzzled.
ording to the previous two instances, the appearance of a curse totem signified endless torment!
But this nun was already a corpse, how could she be tormented further?
"Could it be... a torment of the soul?" Qin Nuo''s eyebrows twitched.
"This room, apart from a corpse, has nothing else, what kind of clue is this?" Lan Yan couldn''t help but say in a deep voice, "Are we supposed to dissect this corpse?"
Qin Nuo suddenly said, "The clue is indeed on this nun."
"But not on the body, it should be on the soul," Qin Nuo said.
"The soul? Isn''t that too far-fetched?" Lan Yanughed with some mockery, "Then let the soul speak to us?"
Qin Nuo nced at him, "Don''t say that, it might just happen."
Saying this, Qin Nuo took out Constantine''s Cigarettes, lit one up, and began to smoke.
Lan Yan''s expression was strange, "Pretty bold, bringing cigarettes into an instance, is your addiction that strong?"
Qin Nuo didn''t respond, taking a puff and exhaling.
The white smoke swirled in the air, and the next second, it seemed to be sucked into the corpse''s nostrils like a vortex.
Immediately, blood-red words appeared on the wall covered in burn marks.
Lan Yan jumped back in fright, eximing, "Damn, you reallymunicated with it?"
The cigarette had a spiritualmunication effect; if the soul was trapped and tormented, the clue was likely tied to it.
Qin Nuo had wanted to try it, not expecting it to actually work.
The blood words appeared line by line, like decaying fingers writing with force, sending chills down one''s spine.
"Though this is a hospital... it is also our ce of faith... sacred and clean... but a woman defiled it... unforgivable sin... using religious means... we executed this sinner... the filthy offspring born of that woman... we ostracized her... tormented her..."
"The filthy janitor defiled her, girls of her age shed her face with des, she screamed in agony, yet weughed with joy..."
"Untilter... people of the faith dragged her out... burned her to death... the nightmare began here..."
"I repent... I am guilty... unforgivable sin..."
At this point, the blood words ceased.
The cigarette in Qin Nuo''s mouth burned down to the filter and extinguished.
Qin Nuo flicked the cigarette butt to the ground, exhaling thest puff, "Finally, a useful clue."
Lan Yan''s mouth twitched, "Don''t you find it horrifying?"
Qin Nuo nced at him, "This is a Horror Game, did you think it was a heartwarming healing game?"
Lan Yan was speechless.
"These are the words of this nun."
"If nothing unexpected, the ''she'' in the blood words is likely the mastermind we''re looking for."
Qin Nuo said, raising his hand to touch the blood words on the wall, which then eerily vanished.
"Who do you think it is?" Lan Yan asked.
"How would I know? There are so many patients in the hospital, all neurotic, finding the right one would be a miracle."
Qin Nuo rubbed his fingers, "At least, we know she''s a woman, so that cuts the suspects in half."
Lan Yan was speechless, "So after all this, we only know the mastermind is a woman, damn!"
Qin Nuo was also a bit helpless, thinking it would be a more significant clue.
It seemed they still had to pin their hopes on the puzzle piece as the key clue!
"This room has nothing more to explore." Qin Nuo nced around, turning to leave.
Lan Yan quickly followed, "Your cigarette is pretty impressive, mind giving me one?"
"One hundred thousand Ghost Currency per stick."
"Well, that''s a polite way of saying no."
Having obtained the shared clue, Qin Nuo and Lan Yan went their separate ways, focusing on the puzzle pieces.
Though the mental hospital had only six floors, it covered a wide area, divided into east, west, south, and north zones. Although Qin Nuo had walked around for a long time yesterday, he had only searched a general area, with many hidden ces left unexplored.
Qin Nuo walked through the dark hospital, holding an oilmp in one hand and a puzzle piece in the other.
For some reason, the deeper into the night, the colder it became.
Qin Nuo felt his breath turning to frost.
"Last night, it didn''t seem this cold, what''s going on?"
"Is the weather turning cold?" Qin Nuo wondered.
"There''s a dense Ghost Aura spreading in the hospital, it''s a very terrifying ghost."
At this moment, the Blood-Eyed Ghost suddenly spoke, its voice heavy, "And there''s more than one, be careful."
The Blood-Eyed Ghost''s words made Qin Nuo''s expression slightly serious.
The terrifying ghost likely referred to the things in the dark; the oilmp should make them wary, so there shouldn''t be a need to worry.
If even the oilmp couldn''t deter them, then this instance would be unyable!
As Qin Nuo pondered, the puzzle piece in his hand suddenly reacted.
Sparks floated in a direction, urately giving Qin Nuo a path.
"The third puzzle piece ising."
Qin Nuo was delighted, following the indicated direction.
As he moved, the puzzle piece''s reaction grew stronger, leading Qin Nuo directly to a corridor on the third floor.
"Just ahead." Qin Nuo looked up, noticing a light flickering in a distant room.
Entering, he found Lan Yan and the blond man had arrived before him.
"Seems we''re all after the same puzzle piece."
The blond man said, shaking off the blood and flesh from the puzzle piece in his hand.
"Where did thise from?" Qin Nuo asked.
Lan Yan stepped aside, pointing to the room''s interior.
Inside, an ugly ghost was stuck in the wall, its body covered in horrific wounds. Its mouth was slightly open, seemingly not dead yet.
"Did you do this?" Qin Nuo looked at the two.
Lan Yan shrugged, "I just got here."
The blond man said calmly, "It went mad and attacked me, so I dealt with it first."
"The puzzle piece was extracted from its throat."
Saying this, he shook a naginata in his hand, wiping the blood off with his sleeve.
"This puzzle piece didn''t take much effort."
"Now, counting, the Emperor has three pieces, I have two, Phantom has two, a total of seven pieces. If we piece them together, we should roughly see what it forms!"
Lan Yan eagerly said, "What do you two think?"
The blond man said, "I have no objections."
With all three present, Qin Nuo naturally had no objections either.
"Then let''s bring them out." Lan Yan said, opening his palm.
Qin Nuo and the Emperor also took out their puzzle pieces.
As the three palms approached, ready to piece everything together, a hoarse voice echoed in their ears. Qin Nuo looked up and suddenly shouted, "Behind us!!"
The ghost in the wall, notpletely dead, suddenly lunged at Lan Yan.
Lan Yan reacted quickly, pulling out his shotgun, and as he turned, he fired.
Bang¡ªst!!
The head exploded on the spot, flesh sttering.
At the same time, the loud gunshot echoed through the entire corridor...
Lan Yan wiped his sweat, saying with relief, "Phew, good thing I reacted quickly!"
The blond man and Qin Nuo remained silent.
Lan Yan noticed their expressions were a bit unnatural, asking, "What''s wrong?"
The blond man spoke grimly, "Idiot, this is the night, do you know how loud a gunshot is?"
Lan Yan helplessly spread his hands, "In that situation, could you think about that?"
"Besides, don''t we have oilmps..."
Before Lan Yan could finish, Qin Nuo interrupted him, whispering, "Shut up."
Lan Yan immediately closed his mouth, not because he was obedient, but because he too sensed something was wrong.
The darkness in the corridor grew colder, and the air was filled with a dense Ghost Aura.
Something was moving in the darkness, but it never entered the range of the oilmp''s light.
This made the three of them breathe a sigh of relief.
The things in the dark were terrifying, but fortunately, they still feared the oilmp''s light.
However, as they had this thought, the next horrifying scene made their eyes twitch uncontrobly.
The three oilmps in their hands suddenly flickered, and then, at a visible speed, began burning rapidly!
Moreover, the surrounding light seemed to be eroded by something, continuously weakening!
The oilmps couldn''t suppress that thing!
The three of them were shocked.
Themp wicks were burning extremely fast, at this rate, they''d burn out in less than five minutes!
Cold sweat seeped from the three as they suddenly looked towards one side of the corridor.
At the end of the hallway, a White Shadow appeared, approaching them!
"Goodbye!" Qin Nuo said, and with those words, he turned and ran, holding the oilmp.
Lan Yan and the blond man quickly followed with theirmps, the former sweating profusely and asking, "Where are we running to?"
"Back to our rooms!" the blond man said.
The rooms were boundaries; the things in the dark surely couldn''t enter.
The three ran desperately, but the bone-chilling cold on their backs told them the White Shadow was right behind them!
Suddenly, Lan Yan, who was at the back, cried out in terror, "My oilmp is about to burn out, wait for me!"
The blond man and Qin Nuo seemed not to hear, their pace not slowing at all.
Lan Yan cursed under his breath, seeing hismp about to extinguish, his face twisted as he gritted his teeth, "Damn it, I''ll fight that thing!"
With that, his oilmp burned outpletely, suddenly going dark.
As the light vanished, darkness instantly engulfed Lan Yan.
Enduring the terrifying cold, Lan Yan pulled out his shotgun, firing at the distant White Shadow.
As the bullet left the chamber, the White Shadow passed through Lan Yan.
In an instant, the bullet, the shotgun, and Lan Yan all shattered into pieces!
Lan Yan''s head rolled down the corridor like a ball...
[Author''s Note]: 4000 words, barely a long chapter!
Chapter 91: Songs outside the window, cooperation continues!
In the psychiatric hospital at night, Qin Nuo and the blond man were sprinting, the oilmp in their hands burning down to half a finger''s length.
The dim light only allowed them to see the steps beneath their feet.
Finally, they reached the dormitory building. The blond man and Qin Nuo''s rooms were on opposite sides. As they reached the top of the stairs, they ran in opposite directions.
At the same time, both had the same thought: "Don''t chase me, chase that guy!"
Whoosh!
Qin Nuo''s room was at the end of the corridor. As he quickened his pace, a song suddenly reached his ears.
His steps instinctively paused.
"Someone''s singing?"
Immediately, Qin Nuo thought of the first clue.The singing came from outside the window, seemingly not far away.
"That thing is chasing you, why are you still dawdling?" the Blood-Eyed Ghost suddenly spoke.
Qin Nuo snapped back to reality, ignoring the singing, and continued to speed up.
Whoosh!
Unfortunately, the oilmp in his hand suddenly went out at this critical moment.
The icy darkness instantly engulfed Qin Nuo.
Turning back, he saw the White Shadow swiftly approaching from afar.
Despite the chills running down his spine, Qin Nuo maintained a sliver of calm, quickly pulling out the doll Mute Sister had given him.
The doll seemed to possess some power, slowing down the White Shadow''s movements.
But the doll also began to shake violently, cracks appearing, the fabric tearing, and the stuffing bursting out.
Using the time gained from the White Shadow''s dy, Qin Nuo managed to return to his room without incident.
He twisted the doorknob and mmed the door shut!
Qin Nuo quickly went to the bedside table, took out another oilmp, and lit it.
The smoky yellow light drove away the darkness and the cold, but Qin Nuo''s heart was still on edge as he turned to stare intently at the door.
From the door came a horrifying sound, like sharp nails scraping, making one''s skin crawl.
Eventually, the door didn''t break open, and the ghost aura gradually dissipated. Clearly, whatever was in the darkness had left.
Qin Nuo let out a sigh of relief, his tense body rxing as he leaned against the bed.
"The consequence of a gunshot."
"That guy named Lan Yan seemed to have run out of oil in hismp, shouting something behind me, but I didn''t catch it. Anyway, he''s probably gone."
"Losing a person is a minor issue, but the puzzle piece in his hand¡ªwhen a yer dies, does the puzzle piece disappear, or does it continue to scatter within the hospital?"
Qin Nuo scratched his head, feeling a headacheing on.
The sudden change disrupted all his rhythm and thoughts.
This change also made Qin Nuo realize that the oilmp wasn''t omnipotent.
Truly terrifying ghosts couldn''t be suppressed even by the oilmp''s light!
"What is the identity of that White Shadow? Is it just an NPC added to increase the instance''s difficulty, or is it the mastermind the yers are looking for?"
If it''s the mastermind, then this game is unyable. If the oilmp can''t suppress it, what can the yers use to fight back?
As Qin Nuo pondered, he also thought of the singing he heard from outside the window while escaping.
This made Qin Nuo realize why he hadn''t heard the so-called singing for two consecutive nights. The singing came from outside the window, meaning the singer wasn''t in the hospital, but likely outside!
"What do you n to do now?" the Blood-Eyed Ghost asked.
"Sleep."
"That''s it for tonight, let''s see what happens tomorrow."
Qin Nuo rubbed his forehead, deciding not to think too much, and simply took off the caregiver uniform andy down on the bed.
...
The night passed without incident.
Waking up in the morning, he blew out the oilmp.
Getting out of bed, he put on his shoes, donned the caregiver uniform, and tidied up. The pre-work routine, day after day, had be second nature to Qin Nuo, even monotonous.
Unexpectedly, today there was no game broadcast, no yers were eliminated.
The yers who were still alive had basically mastered the tricks of this instance. Familiar with the routine, they cleverly avoided danger, surviving until the end, which allowed them to easily finish this instance.
Probably not many still wanted to focus on the main quest.
The main quest wasn''t amb to be caught step by step without resistance.
On the contrary, it was a ferocious beast. With every step of exploration and every new clue obtained, the difficulty of the instance increased, not only resisting but counterattacking!
The final result was losing both money and effort, not even getting the basic rewards of the instance.
This also showed why the high score of 16.0 shocked so many people.
It was a score that could only be achieved by nearly perfectlypleting the main quest!
Qin Nuo left the room and, on his way to the patient building, encountered the blond man.
When they met, both their expressions were somewhat unpleasant.
Last night''s incident left both of them in a bad mood, but as they walked out of the stairwell, they were simultaneously stunned.
Lan Yan was flipping through the patient''s records. Seeing Qin Nuo and the blond man, he said coolly, "You two ran pretty fastst night, huh?"
Qin Nuo asked in surprise, "You escaped from that thing?"
Lan Yan''s face darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "Escape my ass, I hadn''t even reacted when I felt the world spinning, and only realized I was dead when my head fell off!"
"So, you lost your immunity token and still have to continue the game? That''s brave."
To Qin Nuo''s question, Lan Yan just snorted with a smile, "Not all yers have only one immunity token!"
Qin Nuo raised an eyebrow.
This statement indicated that Lan Yan also had items simr to a life-saving scarecrow, but how many did he have?
Qin Nuo thought such life-saving items were unique.
Now it seemed the instance''s rewards were richer than he had imagined.
"What about the puzzle piece?" the blond man asked.
"Still in my hand."
Lan Yan asked directly, "Continue the cooperation?"
After all, every puzzle piece was hard-earned, and no one wanted to give up so easily.
"We can continue, but you have to put away that brainless shotgun," the blond man said.
Lan Yan, knowing he was at fault, could only scratch his head, "My bad, my bad."
"Last night, the puzzle assembly was interrupted. Should we continue now?"
"My time is tight, let''s talk about it tonight." The blond man checked his watch and turned to leave.
"Find a way to get more oilmps, they''re life-saving."
Leaving this sentence, Qin Nuo also left.
...
Soon, he arrived at Ward 303.
Upon entering, Xiao Yue, Bai Qu, and the twins were doing their usual activities.
Mute Sister, however, didn''t look well.
She gestured to Qin Nuo.
Bai Qu asked, "Mute Sister wants to know if something happenedst night?"
Mute Sister''s weak appearance made Qin Nuo understand something. He took out the damaged doll and said apologetically, "There was indeed a situation, but thanks to your doll, it saved my life."
Clearly, the damage to the doll had also caused Mute Sister to suffer significant injuries.
Mute Sister didn''t show any me, only signing, "I don''t have a second doll, be careful yourself."
Mute Sister was the only ghost in this instance who sincerely helped him, and Qin Nuo was already very grateful. Seeing her pale face, he felt somewhat guilty.
After thanking her, hepleted the sign-in sheet and left the room. He then went to Room 302, where he was entangled by the perverse woman Yue Qin for a while, before wearily heading to Room 301...
Chapter 92: Girl Magazine, the Essence of Games!
This time, the pressure from Room 301 was noticeably less.
As Qin Nuo opened the door and entered, the child was already there waiting, his dark eyes filled with excitement: "Brother, you finally came. I have something to show you, don''t be surprised!"
"What is it?" Qin Nuo ignored Zhang Ya''s unsettling gaze and asked.
The child handed over a game console.
Qin Nuo took a look and finally understood, feeling a bit embarrassed.
It turned out this little ghost had cleared the sixth level.
After dying over a thousand times, the little ghost finally passed the level!
Although his gaming talent was extremely poor, it was indeed something worth celebrating.
"Impressive, right?" The child grinned, revealing a smile that was three parts innocent and seven parts horrifying."Not bad, self-taught, that''s quite impressive!" Qin Nuo touched his nose and praised.
"The next level requires some skill. I''ll teach you some simple moves first. Once you get the hang of it, it''ll be easy to clear." Qin Nuo said.
He spoke lightly, but ten minutester, Qin Nuo''s brow furrowed tightly.
Because the child''s gamey was truly suffocating!
This little ghost, not only simple-minded, seemed to turn into an idiot once he touched the game.
At one point, Qin Nuo specifically reminded him not to jump there, but after dying once, it was as if he lost his memory and foolishly jumped there again.
Suppressing his irritation, Qin Nuo smiled and pointed: "This spot, don''t jump next time, okay?"
"Okay."
"Did you really remember?"
"Remembered."
Ten secondster, the little character was hit by an apple at the same spot.
And this spot had already caused 44 deaths!
The child said in confusion, "Why did I die again? Brother, your teaching isn''t working!"
Qin Nuo''s face twitched. If he could beat this little ghost, he really wanted to smash the game console and then p him with a slipper.
Damn it, I''ve told you 45 times not to jump there, are you deaf?
"No worries, take your time. You''ve at least made progress, you''ll clear it soon. You keep ying, I have something to do."
Feeling that staying any longer would break his own defenses, Qin Nuo found an excuse and slipped away.
Encouraged, the little ghost''s confidence soared and he continued to click restart.
Holding a mop, Qin Nuo went to the balcony where the Old Man, as usual, was sitting with his legs crossed, looking at something.
The newspaper that was on the table yesterday was gone.
Qin Nuo had a hunch, did a quick clean of the bathroom, and walked over with a smile: "Old Man, yesterday''s newspaper was quite refreshing, wasn''t it?" ?
The Old Man''s expression was indifferent, he coughed lightly and said nonchntly, "It was okay, but newspapers aren''t to my taste anymore."
"What do you mean?"
Qin Nuo was taken aback and suddenly realized that today the Old Man was holding not a newspaper, but a magazine.
A magazine... featuring the weekly selection of the best sexy women!
The cover was full of bikini-d model beauties!
Damn, this Old Man may be old, but his heart isn''t!
At his age, instead of enjoying retirement, he''s still straining himself?
The Old Man, unashamed, turned another page, engrossed, and continued shaking his foot, muttering to himself: "This book is nice, but there''s only one, reading it over and over gets a bit dull."
Qin Nuo thought to himself, this isn''t a hint, it''s a tant statement.
But this made things much simpler. The Old Man epting his stuff meant their rtionship could be improved.
Entering the System''s marketce, Qin Nuo spent 50 Ghost Currency to buy ten collector''s edition girl photo magazines and ced them on the table, somewhat troubled.
"Old Man, I identally bought too many study materials, they''re just taking up space, why not use them to prop up the table?"
"Of course, if you''re interested, feel free to take a look. They''re just a set of non-nutritious study materials anyway."
The Old Man nced at them, his expression unchanged, and said, "Alright, just leave them there."
"Angel''s Kiss: You''ve gained +140 favorability with the bored old man in Room 301, rewarded with +200 Ghost Currency!"
Qin Nuo thought, this Old Man really cares about appearances, but his favorability has already betrayed him. A set of magazines and he''s probably over the moon inside.
"Well, Old Man, I won''t disturb your studies, I''ll head in first." Qin Nuo said, entering the room.
With the child and the Old Man''s favorability secured, Zhang Ya should restrain herself now, right?
Inside the room, the child''s game progress was still stagnant, and Qin Nuo didn''t want to continue guiding him, fearing for his own heart.
The caregiver''s job wasn''t difficult, the main focus was tonight''s action.
Only one oilmp left.
With a White Shadow that wasn''t afraid of the oilmp added to the night, the danger level of night actions had increased significantly.
The cards he could rely on were dwindling.
"If only there was a bodyguard to ensure my safety during night actions, it would definitely be twice the result with half the effort."
Qin Nuo muttered to himself, suddenly realizing something.
Bodyguards, weren''t there three right in this room?
The three patients in Room 301 were all Horror Level ghosts, not necessarily afraid of the White Shadow in the night. If he could take them along at night, the sense of security would be overwhelming, unmatched by the Blood-Eyed Ghost!
However, while the idea was good, it wasn''t very realistic.
Zhang Ya would love to see him dead, asking her was akin to courting death.
The Old Man on the balcony had just gained a bit of favorability, asking for his help now might be difficult.
After thinking it over, the child on the bed seemed the most feasible.
However, this little ghost was very clever outside of games, and crafty, not easy to fool.
Qin Nuo returned to the child''s side, looking at the game screen, unsurprisingly witnessing the 89th death.
Unnaturally, he started, "Brother, can I ask you something?"
Hearing this address, the child was very happy, cheerfully asking, "What is it, just say it, brother!"
"Can you leave the ward during the day?"
"I can, but the nun has rules, getting caught has severe consequences." The child said.
"What about at night?"
The child thought for a moment and said, "I can leave too, but not for long, there''s a set time to sleep."
Hearing he could leave, Qin Nuo''s face lit up with joy, smiling as he said, "Want toe out tonight? I''ll take you to y!"
"y what?"
"Something even more fun than games!" Qin Nuo continued to coax.
The child''s eyes lit up, about to speak, but then hesitated, snorting, "You''re trying to trick me, you must have bad intentions taking me out!"
This little ghost indeed couldn''t be fooled, possessing a maturity beyond his years.
"Alright, I do have something I need your help with, I''ll be straightforward."
"Last night I got beaten up by someone, I want you to help me get back at them." Qin Nuo said.
"Brother got beaten up, it''s not too much for me to stand up for you, right?"
The child tilted his head, thinking it seemed reasonable.
"I can help you, but help me clear the level."
"Ha, thought it was something big, that''s a small matter." Qin Nuo said, taking the game console.
"Help me by teaching, let me clear the level." The child added.
Damn, that''s a tall order!
The child blinked and asked, "Didn''t you say I made great progress? Why are you hesitating?"
Qin Nuo checked the time, half an hour of free time left, and reluctantly nodded, "Alright, let''s start!"
Half an hourter.
The child cheered loudly, excitedlyughing, "Yay! I''m amazing, cleared two levels today!"
Qin Nuo leaned against the side, sweating profusely, the child''s miraculous gamey in that half hour nearly drove him insane.
Truly, teaching the apprentice starves the master!
"What about our agreement?" Qin Nuo wiped his sweat and asked.
The child turned, ran to the bedside table, took out a children''s rm clock, and handed it to Qin Nuo, saying, "Set a time, when it rings tonight, I''lle."
"But at the set time, I have to go back to sleep, staying upte is bad."
Qin Nuo nodded, "Staying upte is indeed bad, how about we pull an all-nighter?"
The child rolled his eyes.
"Kid, can''t you see such an obvious trick?"
"At night, many things are taboo."
Zhang Ya, with her painted eyebrows, suddenly spoke, nonchntly.
The child made a face at her, "Mind your own business, my brother''s matters are my matters!"
"Such an innocent little cutie, helping count money after being sold." Zhang Yaughed.
Qin Nuo said, "Say what you will, I''ve never intended to harm anyone."
His words were indeed coaxing, but he never intended to harm the child. If the child couldn''t handle the White Shadow, then at worst, the two brothers would just run together!
The Old Man, rarely, came in from outside, rubbing his back as if tired from sitting, and sat by the bed.
Qin Nuo looked at him, silent.
The Old Man wouldn''te in for no reason, he must have something to say.
Sure enough, the Old Man smiled and beckoned Qin Nuo over.
"Old Man, do you need my help? Is your back sore? Let me give you a massage!" Qin Nuo hurried over, appearing very eager to help.
The Old Man didn''t answer, instead asking, "Are you in trouble?"
Qin Nuo shook his head nonchntly, "Just a small matter, Old Man, don''t worry. You''re getting on in years, worrying about my matters and tiring yourself out, I''d feel guilty!"
Zhang Ya slightly frowned.
Her eyes showed coldness and disgust.
She thought green tea behavior was only in women.
Now it seems, men can be even more disgusting when they''re green tea!
Qin Nuo''s full disy of tea art naturally won the Old Man''s favor, who stroked his beard and smiled, "The more I look at you, the more pleasing you are!"
"But my old bones aren''t good for going out, take this."
A wine sk was handed over, looking aged, and when opened, the smell of alcohol was strong.
"Old Man, I don''t drink." Qin Nuo said, screwing the cap back on.
"Just take it, you''ll find it useful." The Old Man said lightly, then rubbed his back and went out, continuing to engross himself in his magazine.
Qin Nuo''s eyes lit up, putting it away.
If the Old Man said so, it must have its use.
This way, tonight''s action was much more secure.
This is the benefit of building rtionships!
From the Bloodstained Apartment, it was clear that another essence of this game was that some ghosts in the instance were no different from humans. As long as you grasp their thoughts and gain favorability, you''ll find that these rtionships are often more useful than the items in your hand!
"If there''s nothing else, I''ll be going."
Qin Nuo looked at the child ying the game, "Brother, see you tonight."
The child was already engrossed in the next level, just nodding.
For a long time, the hazy white mist on the horizon began to turn yellow.
At six o''clock, Qin Nuo went to the lobby downstairs to receive the reward from the nun.
Now, Qin Nuo could basically get the best evaluation and receive the optimal daily wage.
Besides Ghost Currency and physical items, this time it wasn''t a white candle, but an oilmp!
Fallen Angel''s Oil Lamp?
Qin Nuo was taken aback.
Turning his head, he saw Lan Yan and the blond man also received an oilmp each.
Except for them, everyone else got white candles.
In an instant, the three of them understood.
This was a benefit from making a breakthrough in the main quest.
"Just when I was worried about not having an oilmp, it came, this game isn''tpletely inhumane." Lan Yan couldn''t help butugh.
"The oilmp only makes it easier for us to move, it''s lost its protective nature, no need to be happy." The blond man said.
"The White Shadow was attracted by a bigmotion, there''s some logic to it. If we move quietly, we might be safe." Lan Yan spected.
The blond man looked at him as if he were an idiot, "You''re talking logic with a horror game? How adorably naive!"
With that, he shook his head and left.
Lan Yan looked at Qin Nuo in confusion, "Was there something wrong with what I said?"
"No, you didn''t hear thepliment in histter half?" Qin Nuo smiled and left as well.
Time ticked away.
The sunset gradually faded.
Darkness descended step by step.
"Stumbling through the silence, suddenly seeing a flickering light..."
In the dim room, Qin Nuo sang, skillfully lighting the oilmp, the warm glow illuminating the room.
Qin Nuo nced out the window, took off his caregiver uniform, changed into more convenient clothes, and opened the door with the oilmp in hand.
In the silent corridor, Qin Nuo crouched down and ced a children''s rm clock on the cold floor.
The ticking of the second hand echoed in the corridor, sounding ethereal and eerie, scaring the other yers in the rooms trying to sleep.
Qin Nuo stood up, calmly muttering to himself, "The little brat bettere..."
Chapter 93: Open-air balcony, no name!
When the second hand struck the hour, the tune of a nursery rhyme echoed down the corridor.
Qin Nuo nced nervously to both sides. Although the rm clock''s ring was much quieter than a gunshot, he wasn''t sure if it would attract the White Shadow fromst night.
Tap, tap...
A few crisp sounds emerged in the darkness. The firelight could only illuminate a limited space, and Qin Nuo wasn''t sure what it was, but he had already picked up the rm clock, ready to dash back into the room at any moment.
A chill crept down from above.
Qin Nuo looked up abruptly and saw a head peeking down from the doorframe.
A grayish head, with pitch-ck eyes, revealed a horrifying grin: "Hee hee, little brother, I''m here!"
Qin Nuo tightened his grip on the Grave Ghost Stone in his hand, ready to hurl it, but upon seeing it was the child, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Can''t you just walk over normally? I almost had a heart attack," Qin Nuo said, clutching his chest."I wanted to give you a surprise!" the child grinned.
"Rece ''surprise'' with ''scare''," Qin Nuo replied, closing the door and handing the rm clock back to the child, holding an oilmp in one hand and slipping the other into his pocket.
The child hugged the rm clock and flipped onto Qin Nuo''s shoulders.
It wasn''t heavy, but it was very cold.
Qin Nuo was a bit speechless: "Can you not sit on my shoulders?"
"Brother hasn''t ridden a horse, so little brother has to listen to big brother, giddy up!" The child swung his body energetically.
Qin Nuo shook his head helplessly and let him be.
In the deathly silent asylum, a young man in a white coat, carrying an oilmp, with a gray little ghost sitting on his shoulder, walked through the long corridor filled with horror and danger.
"Little brother, where are we going?" the child looked around, blinking eagerly.
"The hospital hides many exciting and fun things, and we need to find them."
As Qin Nuo spoke, he returned to the ce where he heard the singingst night, pushed open the window, and the bleak night wind blew in.
"The singing I heard yesterday came from outside. Could there be patients outside the asylum?"
Qin Nuo murmured to himself.
The main door on the first floor was locked. He had once tried to secretly break the iron lock to see the world outside the hospital.
But it seemed as if some forbidden power was at y; even using all his Ghost Power, the iron lock couldn''t be broken.
During the day, thick fog would envelop the windows,pletely blocking the view, making it impossible to even determine if the asylum had a backyard or a garden.
Clearly, the asylum waspletely sealed off, and the instance''s range was confined to the hospital.
"If it''s sealed, how did the singinge from outside?"
Qin Nuo wondered, looking up, and suddenly noticed an open-air balcony on the upper floor, and he immediately understood.
Retracting his body, Qin Nuo rushed upstairs. After wandering around the corridor on the fourth floor, he quickly found an alcove leading to the open-air balcony outside.
Opening the door, Qin Nuo stepped outside. The balcony wasn''trge, with tiles painted with various things,cking any logic, as if mischievous patients had painted them casually.
The balcony was empty and very quiet.
"The singer isn''t here, do they appear irregrly? I can''t just squat here all night, can I?" Qin Nuo thought.
"Little brother, it''s ufortable outside, let''s go back," the child suddenly said.
Qin Nuo thought for a moment and had to nod.
Unable to find the singer, he could only focus on searching for puzzle pieces for now ande backter when he had time to try his luck.
As Qin Nuo turned to leave, his vision gradually brightened.
Looking up, he saw that in the starless night sky, dark clouds slowly drifted by, revealing a crescent moon. The eerie blue moonlight poured down.
"So the Horror World does have a moon," Qin Nuo murmured.
Having stayed in the pitch-ck asylum for so long, Qin Nuo had thought that even though the Horror World had day and night, there was no such thing as a sun or moon.
"La~...~..."
Just as Qin Nuo was about to push the door open, a familiar song suddenly echoed in his ears.
The singing came from behind, carrying an ethereal quality.
Qin Nuo turned his head and saw that, at some point, a barefoot girl had appeared on the railing.
The girl looked about eleven or twelve years old, wearing a white shirt and shorts, looking very fair. Her small feet danced on the palm-wide railing, lost in her own world, performing ballet.
Qin Nuo raised an eyebrow: "When did this girl show up?"
Though he asked, he felt a sense of excitement.
He had found the source of the singing!
Qin Nuo walked over, smiling kindly: "Little sister, why are you here alone? Where are your parents?"
After speaking, Qin Nuo felt something was off. Did he sound like a kidnapper?
The girl didn''t respond, or perhaps she didn''t hear him, continuing to hum the tune of the ck Swan, rising on her toes to spin, like a light elf dancing joyfully under the dreamy moonlight.
"Do you want to chat her up? I can help you," the child said.
Qin Nuo didn''t reply, looking at the girl''s fair face, pondering something.
The child continued, "Your flirting skills are too low; I have experience, let me teach you!"
Qin Nuo nced at him, "Can you just keep quiet for a moment?"
At that moment, the girl''s dance suddenly stopped, her eyes dimmed, and her expression turned sad, as if she couldn''t remember the next part of the song or dance.
Qin Nuo seized the opportunity to speak again: "Little sister, do you need any help?"
The girl''s gaze finallynded on Qin Nuo, her eyes lighting up: "I lost something. Can you help me find it?"
"What did you lose?"
"A music box. I forgot who gave it to me, but its song helps me remember how to dance the rest of the ballet," the girl said softly, her eyes clear like a pure spring, devoid of any impurity.
"Do you remember where you lost it?" Qin Nuo asked. A music box is usually palm-sized, and the asylum is sorge, it wouldn''t be easy to find.
"In a room, it was lost inside, but I''m too scared to go in and look."
"There''s a very fierce olddy in there!" the girl shrank her head, speaking fearfully.
"Do you remember the room? Take me to see it, and I''ll try to help you get it back," Qin Nuo offered, like a warm-hearted big brother.
In reality, he knew there must be a reason the clue pointed to the little girl.
The little girl must be hiding some secret, and the way to get someone to open up and reveal their secrets is to build a rtionship and gain their trust.
The hospital''s patients were generally easy to talk to, and for those who weren''t, Qin Nuo could make them easy to talk to.
Retrieving a music box shouldn''t be too difficult.
"Really? Thank you so much, you''re such a good person!" The girl''s eyes showed gratitude as she held Qin Nuo''s hand, very thankful.
Her small hand''s skin was delicate and very cold.
The child tilted his head and said, "Kids these days are so naive, falling for it so easily."
Qin Nuo ignored the child''sment and smiled, asking, "What''s your name?"
The girl opened her mouth, about to answer, but the name seemed stuck in her throat. She fell into thought, then furrowed her brows in distress.
After a long moment, she shook her head and said, "I don''t seem to have a name."
Chapter 94: Physics falls asleep, not a bad person!
Unnamed...
Such an answer left Qin Nuo puzzled.
Was it amnesia?
Or did her parents not give her a name?
Qin Nuo thought for a moment and said, "How about I give you a name? How about ''Dream''?"
"Dream..." The little girl blinked, showing neither dislike nor much enthusiasm.
"Let''s go, take me to that room, I''ll help you get your music box back," Qin Nuo said, standing up.
Hearing about the music box, Dream finally smiled and walked barefoot ahead.
Qin Nuo followed behind, and the child yawned, "This is the fun thing you mentioned? It''s not exciting at all.""Don''t rush, how about ying a game first?" Qin Nuo thought of a way to keep the child quiet.
"Why didn''t I think of that?" The child took out a game console, sat on Qin Nuo''s shoulder, and started ying. The screen''s glow on his little face made him look even more eerie.
Dream led Qin Nuo to the first floor, to a door at the end of the hallway.
Dream clung to Qin Nuo''s hand, afraid to go near, pointing at the door, "It''s inside, the olddy is very fierce, be careful."
"Why is she fierce to you? Did you do something wrong?" Qin Nuo asked.
Dream shook her head, "Some older boys took my music box. When I tried to get it back, the olddy chased me away with a whip."
Qin Nuo thought for a moment, put the child down, and pointed at Dream, "Hey, I''ve got a task for you. Keep an eye on your sister, don''t let her run around, okay?"
Dream was an important character in the main storyline, and Qin Nuo didn''t want to lose her.
The child nced at Dream and said, "I want something in return."
Qin Nuo was speechless, thinking this little rascal was more cunning than an adult.
After a moment, he suddenly asked, "Do you like Rainbow Candy?"
The child''s eyes lit up, "Do you have some?"
"More than that, a whole jar. Keep an eye on your sister, and you can have as much as you want," Qin Nuo said, thinking that the allure of candy was indeed powerful. No matter how mature, children couldn''t resist it.
"Deal, but don''t trick me, or I''ll beat you up." The child waved his little fist, and it wasn''t a joke; he could really hit.
Qin Nuo nodded, gave a few more instructions, then said no more, and walked toward the room with an oilmp.
As Qin Nuo left, the child continued ying his game.
Dream stood there, watching Qin Nuo''s departing figure, then looked at the child, unsure of what to do.
Barefoot, she walked over quietly, standing behind the child, her ssy eyes curiously fixed on the game screen...
Creak.
The door wasn''t locked and was slowly pushed open.
Qin Nuo peeked inside.
The room was dimly lit, an old-fashioned bulb hanging on the wall flickered, casting shadows.
"Is anyone there?" Qin Nuo called softly, gently closing the door as he entered.
In the living room, an olddy sat on the sofa, knitting clothes, with small garments hanging beside her.
A wooden music box sat on the table, its gears turning, ethereal and pleasant music filling the air.
No need to ask, this was definitely Dream''s music box.
The olddy remained motionless, her head tilted to one side, the garment only half-knitted.
Seeing this, Qin Nuo hesitated, then quietly approached, reaching for the music box.
Though the chances were slim, perhaps he could sneak it away?
But this hopeful thought was soon dashed.
"Young man, didn''t anyone teach you to knock before entering?"
A hoarse voice came, and Qin Nuo awkwardly withdrew his hand. The olddy on the sofa had woken up at some point and continued knitting.
"Well, I saw you were asleep and didn''t want to disturb you," Qin Nuo said.
"You want this music box?" the olddy asked.
"My sister said she lost something here," Qin Nuo said, rubbing his nose.
"The music box isn''t hers. Tell that girl not to think about it," the olddy said expressionlessly.
Qin Nuo was speechless. At her age, she was still ying tricks with a little girl.
After a moment''s thought, he said, "Granny, how about I exchange it for a new music box? This one''s old, and the sound has changed."
"I don''t want anything else, just this one. It helps me lull my grandchildren to sleep."
The granny didn''t even nce at Qin Nuo, her tone growing impatient.
She suddenly stopped her knitting, her gaze empty as she looked at Qin Nuo, her tone unfriendly, "You should leave."
"If you disturb my grandchildren, I''ll turn you into a toy for them to y with."
"Bang!!"
As she spoke, the innermost door suddenly burst open, and a flood of ghost aura rushed into the living room.
Qin Nuo didn''t see any ghosts, but he saw countless small footprints appear on the walls, moving erratically.
Footprints appeared on the table, TV, and sofa, and wherever they went, things flew around, shattering with endless tter, turning the living room into a mess.
"My dear grandchildren, won''t you go back to sleep?" the olddy called out, turning up the music box''s volume.
The footprints indeed lessened.
But a few mischievous ones continued to roam around.
Finally, the granny personally got up and tossed the remaining two mischievous grandchildren back into the room.
Watching this, Qin Nuo thought, where did this lonely olddy get so many grandchildren?
The granny held the music box, her face as withered as tree bark, looking gloomy, "Why is this thing bing less effective?"
As she spoke, she tightened her grip, intending to crush the music box.
Seeing this, Qin Nuo quickly spoke up, "Wait!"
The granny paused, then said after a moment of silence, "If you can help put my grandchildren to sleep, I''ll give you this wooden box."
Qin Nuo felt a headacheing on. More children, the thing he dreaded most was unruly kids. When they got mischievous, he wished he could just strangle them.
"Ding, the host has triggered a D-level instance task¡ªHelp the granny with many grandchildren put them to sleep!"
As Qin Nuo was thinking, the game''s voice sounded.
The further he progressed, the more likely he was to trigger instance task clues, and Qin Nuo didn''t want to miss this.
Then, Qin Nuo thought of something and tried asking, "As long as they fall asleep, right?"
"As long as they sleep," the granny sat back down, clearly also troubled by her grandchildren.
"I''ll give it a try." Qin Nuo rubbed his nose and walked toward the room.
"If you not only fail to calm them but make them more rowdy, you''ll have to stay and be their toy," the granny added.
Qin Nuo''s expression remained calm.
He agreed for the instance task, not because he feared the olddy. If she decided to go all out, Qin Nuo wasn''t afraid, as the pressure she exerted wasn''t terrifying.
Besides, his brothers were outside!
The granny said no more, continuing her knitting.
Qin Nuo turned the doorknob and entered the room.
Inside, the air was stifling, and Qin Nuo ced the oilmp on the table.
Countless footprints appeared in every corner of the room, chaotic and unsightly.
"How do you n to calm them?" the Blood-Eyed Ghost asked.
Qin Nuo said calmly, "I have a foolproof sleep method, but first, I need these little ghosts to show themselves."
"Bring out something that interests them, and they''ll appear," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
Something of interest, what else but Rainbow Candy?
Qin Nuo immediately grabbed a handful of candy and scattered it on the floor.
Soon, countless footprints suddenly crowded the floor.
Then, one by one, little ghosts in red garments appeared, excitedly picking up the candy and stuffing it into their mouths.
Soon, the candy on the floor waspletely scavenged.
A little ghost stared directly at Qin Nuo, "More!"
Qin Nuo smiled, "If you''re full, can you go to sleep quietly?"
The little ghosts made faces at Qin Nuo, "Even Granny can''t control us, who do you think you are?"
"He must have more on him, let''s strip him and search!" one little ghost suggested, and the other six agreed, eyeing Qin Nuo hungrily.
Qin Nuo took a step back, his voice growing cold, "I advise you not to be naughty with me; this won''t work on me."
The little ghosts continued to stick out their tongues, "If you dare touch us, we''ll cry, and Granny will hear and tear you apart to make us toys!"
Qin Nuo pondered for a moment, then smiled, "Alright, you''re tough. It''s just candy, I''ll give it to you."
He grabbed another handful of candy and scattered it.
The little ghostsughed, "Scaredy-cat, afraid of Granny!"
Blood-Eyed Ghost: "You can endure this?"
Qin Nuo said, "I can''t."
With that, he took out the Grave Ghost Stone and walked over.
"This is your foolproof sleep method?"
"Yes, the physical sleep method. A hit on the back of the head, and they''ll surely sleep," Qin Nuo said.
The Blood-Eyed Ghost was speechless.
"These little ghosts are too weak. The stone in your hand is a Horror Level ghost creature. A hit won''t just knock them out; it''ll finish them."
"I''ll be gentle?" Qin Nuo hesitated.
"Useless, ghosts are different from humans; it''s not about force," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
As Qin Nuo was troubled, he suddenly felt a pain in his back.
It turned out a little ghost had climbed on him, using its nails to scratch his clothes, excitedly shouting, "Hand over the candy!"
Qin Nuo grabbed the little ghost and threw it aside.
The little ghost''s head hit the wall with a thud, and whether it was truly hurt or pretending, it opened its mouth, ready to cry loudly.
"Damn!"
Qin Nuo cursed, and at thest moment, he thought of something, suddenly taking out a medical kit, grabbing a syringe, and rushing forward.
Just as the little ghost was about to cry, he jabbed the needle into its butt.
Instantly, the little ghost quieted down, its head tilting as if it had fallen asleep.
The Blood-Eyed Ghost was surprised, "What is that?"
"Tranquilizer..."
Qin Nuo said, having thought of it on the fly, not expecting the medical kit''s contents to work on ghosts!
"With this, things be simple."
Qin Nuo''s smile grew.
A little ghost ran over, wiping its mouth, "Why is brother asleep?"
"Your brother was tired. Come, have some candy."
Qin Nuo said with a smile, feeding candy with one hand, while the other hand, holding the syringe, mercilessly jabbed it into the little ghost''s butt.
The candy''s sweetness made the little ghosts drop their guard, not noticing the glinting needle behind Qin Nuo''s smile.
In no time, the little ghosts were all sprawled on the floor.
Thest little ghost finally realized, seeing the terrifying syringe.
Just as it was about to shout, Qin Nuo pinned it down, covering its mouth.
Looking at the struggling little ghost, Qin Nuo showed a kind smile, but in the little ghost''s eyes, it seemed sinister and terrifying.
"Be good, eat the candy, take the shot, and you can sleep. Uncle isn''t a bad guy!"
With that, he jabbed the needle without mercy.
Instantly, the little ghost''s eyes rolled back, fainting.
Looking at the little ghosts sprawled everywhere, Qin Nuo felt a sense of satisfaction.
He then picked them up one by one, cing them on the bed, neatly arranging them, and covering them with a nket, creating the illusion of peaceful sleep.
"Why do they feel so limp?" Qin Nuo muttered.
"The tranquilizer doses were meant for adults. What do you think happens when given to little ghosts?" the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
Qin Nuo shrugged, "Doesn''t matter, as long as they''re asleep."
After tidying up the room, Qin Nuo opened the door and walked out.
"Granny, your grandchildren are all asleep, and they''re sleeping soundly and peacefully," Qin Nuo said as he walked over.
The granny stopped her knitting, raising her withered face. Though expressionless, Qin Nuo knew she was surely shocked.
"You were in there for less than ten minutes," her voice carried doubt.
"If you don''t believe me, you can check," Qin Nuo stepped aside.
The granny, skeptical, approached the door and saw her grandchildren lying neatly in a row, sleeping obediently.
The granny intended to enter the room for a closer look.
Qin Nuo reminded, "Granny, it''s hard to get them to sleep. If you wake them, I can''t put them back to sleep."
The granny thought for a moment, finding it reasonable, and stopped.
She couldn''t help but ask, "How did you do it?"
"With mischievous children, you need plenty of patience. The more anxious you are, the more they rebel. You have to go along with their hearts, gently soothing them, and they''ll gradually feel sleepy," Qin Nuo said as if he had plenty of experience.
"In simple terms, you can''t treat children roughly; you need enough patience!"
Blood-Eyed Ghost: "You''re amazing!"
Qin Nuo''s words seemed to make the granny reflect. After a while, she rasped, "You can take the wooden box."
Qin Nuo smiled slightly, "Thank you, you''re a good granny. I''m sure your grandchildren will grow up healthy."
...
"Can I y?"
Outside the room.
Dream watched as the little character died again and couldn''t help but ask the child.
"No, you''re too bad at it. You can''t y this game!" the child refused outright. Just as he was about to restart, the door opened.
Qin Nuo came out.
Dream quickly walked over, eagerly asking, "How did it go?"
"Easy."
Qin Nuo tossed the music box to Dream.
Seeing her music box, Dream was overjoyed, hugging it and spinning around on tiptoes.
"How did you get it back?" the child put down the game console and asked.
Qin Nuo shrugged and smiled, "Just helped the granny put a few little ghosts to sleep."
"I have a foolproof sleep method."
The child put down the game console, blinking, "Really? I want to try it too; I''ve been having trouble sleepingtely."
"It''s not for you."
Chapter 95: Perfect character, a ghost in bed!
Worried that Granny might find her grandsons sleeping too soundly, Qin Nuo led the child and Meng away from the first floor.
As they headed back upstairs, Qin Nuo took out a puzzle piece, keeping an eye on the direction the sparks were drifting, and asked Meng, "Have you remembered anything?"
Meng, holding a music box and still immersed in joy, thought for a moment and shook her head.
Qin Nuo was a bit puzzled. "Do you remember how you came to this hospital?"
Meng replied, "Since I can remember, I''ve been in this hospital."
"I don''t like the daytime; I prefer the night. The night is quiet and beautiful, so I always dance in the corridor with my music box. That''s my happiest time."
"What about your family?"
"I don''t remember."
"Friends?""You''re the first."
Qin Nuo thought to himself that this amnesia was quite severe, forgetting everyone around her. But then again, it wasn''t surprising, considering this was a mental hospital.
Still, he was a bit perplexed.
This girl wandered around so freely every night; didn''t the nuns care?
As he pondered, footsteps echoed down the hallway.
Then, a light appeared at the stairway.
Lan Yan and the blond man heard voicesing from downstairs, took out their ghost creatures warily, and then saw Qin Nuoing up with an oilmp.
On his shoulder sat a child, and beside him was a little girl in a white dress.
Ignoring their astonished expressions, Qin Nuo asked, "Weren''t we supposed to act separately? Why are you two always together?"
Lan Yan and the blond man didn''t respond but instead focused intently on Meng and the child. In an instant, they realized these were two ghosts.
Especially the child on the shoulder, who gave them immense pressure.
This was a Horror Level ghost!
The child was ying a game, ignoring Lan Yan and the blond man.
Meng asked Qin Nuo, "Brother, are these your friends?"
"Sort of."
The blond man asked in a low voice, "What''s going on here?"
"This is my buddy, joining me for tonight''s action," Qin Nuo said calmly.
"Brother, you said you were bullied, was it these two?" The child put down the game console, blinking with a hostile look.
His gaze fell on Lan Yan and the blond man, whose expressions changed, and they instinctively took a step back.
Qin Nuo shook his head and exined on their behalf.
"Is this your patient?" Lan Yan asked.
Before he could answer, the child interjected with a pout, "What patient? We''re brothers!"
Lan Yan and the blond man instantly understood the situation.
This guy actually found a ghost to be his bodyguard!
And a Horror Level ghost at that.
Both Lan Yan and the blond man involuntarily took a deep breath.
They knew all too well how difficult it was to deal with patients in a mental hospital, with their various anti-social and bizarre behaviors often making their skin crawl. Some patients even harbored great malice towards them. ?
Let alone getting close to these patients.
The child calling Qin Nuo his brother truly shocked them.
"Buddy, share some tips, how did you manage this?" Lan Yan asked quietly while the child was engrossed in his game.
"This can''t be taught; it depends on one''s character. Mine is just perfect," Qin Nuo said.
Lan Yan was speechless. "If you don''t want to say, fine, but do you have to brag about yourself too?"
The blond man''s face was a bit awkward, feeling thement was directed at him, especially since he had previously blown a patient''s head off.
As they spoke, Qin Nuo suddenly noticed the sparks on the puzzle piece in his hand ring up, pointing in a direction.
Lan Yan and the blond man''s puzzle pieces were doing the same.
The three exchanged nces and immediately ran towards that direction with their oilmps.
In the corridor on the third floor, even from a dozen meters away, they could smell a strong stench of blood.
Thick ck blood was seeping from under a room door.
Meng suddenly stopped, looking at the blood on the floor, and said with some difficulty, "I don''t want to go in."
Qin Nuo nced at her bare feet and had no choice but to entrust the task of watching over her to the child again.
The child didn''t mind, sitting directly on the floor and ying his game.
Meanwhile, Lan Yan and the blond man each took out their ghost creatures, covering their necks. "This smell isn''t just blood; it''s disgusting."
"Be careful."
Seeing Qin Nuo approach, the blond man pushed open the door.
As the three entered the room, the intense stench immediately wafted out.
In the messy room, a corpsey on the bed, covered in horrific wounds.
Their eyes moved downward, their expressions twitching, and they instinctively felt a chill in their groins.
The wounds on the rest of the body were nothingpared to the horror at the crotch, where that part waspletely gone!
Blood was everywhere, clearly cut off by some sharp tool.
Then, Lan Yan seemed to notice something and said, "Look at the mouth."
The corpse''s mouth was bulging, as if stuffed with something.
Instantly, their expressions turned as if they had seen a ghost, utterly disgusted.
What heinous crime had this personmitted?
"Probably a scumbag, juggling several rtionships. I must say, the woman who killed him was ruthless," Lan Yan said, covering his nose.
"I think I''ve seen his face before, the caregiver during the day," the blond man said.
A ghost caregiver.
In the mental hospital, ghost caregivers worked like machines during the day, but at night, they would revert to the state they were in at the time of death.
Just like the woman Qin Nuo saw in the bathtub, who had slit her wrists.
These ghosts harbored deep resentment, but as long as you didn''t provoke them, nothing would happen.
However,
Qin Nuo looked at the puzzle piece in his hand, pointing to the corpse on the bed, which was unclothed.
That meant the puzzle piece was inside the corpse.
Lan Yan and the blond man realized this too and frowned.
Qin Nuo asked, "Who''s going to get it?"
Lan Yan stepped back. "If I die one more time, I''m out of the game."
The blond man looked at Qin Nuo, who was also looking at him. "Rock-paper-scissors?"
"Boring."
The blond man said coldly, then stepped forward, took out a ck handgun, attached a silencer, and pressed the muzzle against the corpse''s forehead, while his other hand began to search the bloody body.
The sound of his palm touching the rotten flesh was extremely unsettling.
Yet the blond man remained expressionless.
Qin Nuo was surprised. "With such a strong heart, could he be a medical student?"
"Maybe a coroner," Lan Yan muttered.
Soon, the blond man raised an eyebrow and said, "Found it."
"Where?"
"The heart area."
"Be careful, don''t provoke it..."
Before Lan Yan could finish, there was a squelching sound as the blond man brutally plunged his hand into the corpse''s chest, pulling out a rotten heart. A glowing object caught everyone''s eye¡ªit was the puzzle piece.
Lan Yan opened his mouth, continuing, "Seems like being rough isn''t a problem."
However, just as he finished speaking, the corpse suddenly opened its eyes, filled with terrifying resentment, turning pitch ck.
It opened its mouth, letting out a piercing scream.
Just as it was about to act, there was a muffled bang, and the blond man pulled the trigger, blowing its head off.
The corpsey back down.
This ck handgun was evidently an extraordinary ghost weapon.
The blond man grabbed a rag, wiped his hands and the puzzle piece, and walked back.
However, as he turned around, his face changed again.
A terrifying Ghost Aura suddenly spread throughout the room, and the corpse with the blown-off head began to horrifyingly regenerate...
Chapter 96: Angel Holy Water, final stage!
Looking at the corpse with its head restored, Lan Yan''s face darkened. "The resentment is too deep. Ordinary ghost creatures can''t kill it."
"Anyway, we''ve got the puzzle piece. Who cares how deep it is? Just run."
Qin Nuo turned and dashed towards the door, but the corpse suddenly leaped up, blocking their way.
With its head restored, the man spat out his tongue, ring at the three with a face full of resentment, his terrifying visage covered in writhing veins.
Qin Nuo and Lan Yan took a step back, simultaneously pointing at the blond man. "He''s the one who messed with you!"
The blond man''s face turned as sour as if he''d swallowed a fly, wishing he could shoot both of them.
Despite his thoughts, the blond man raised his gun and fired two more shots at the man.
The ghost caregiver raised his hand to catch the bullets, but his palm exploded, sending flesh flying.
Yet soon, the hand repaired itself at a speed visible to the naked eye."Woman... damned woman... damn it!!" the ghost caregiver howled.
"What does a woman cutting off your thing have to do with us?" Qin Nuo said, pulling out a bone-crushing hammer and human bone nails.
"Because..."
The ghost caregiver opened his mouth, but before he could finish, two human bone nails shot like bullets, piercing into his head.
The enhanced enchantment effect made the ghost caregiver scream miserably, his head instantly melting into a pool of blood.
But before the three could reach the door, the pool of blood reformed, grinning eerily. "My resentment lingers in this room. As long as it remains, you can''t kill me."
The ghost caregiver''s mouth twisted into a sinister smile. "I''ll tear off your things too, so you can taste what it''s like!"
"Damn, what grudge is this?" Lan Yan and the others took several steps back.
Resentful ghosts are indeed troublesome. If the resentment isn''t dispelled, they can haunt you endlessly.
The ghost caregiver advanced step by step, but just then, the door behind them suddenly opened.
A child walked in with a game console, excitedly looking at Qin Nuo. "Brother, look, I cleared another level. Isn''t that amazing?"
His eyebrows danced as he spoke, eager for praise.
Qin Nuo and the others: "..."
The child scratched his head. "Why do you all have that expression?"
The ghost caregiver stared at the child, a furious roar of resentment escaping his mouth. "Where did this brate from, acting like I don''t exist?"
As he spoke, his withered arm reached for the child.
But before it could touch the child, an invisible force shattered the arm instantly.
"Huh? Who are you calling a brat?" The child was displeased, ring at the ghost caregiver.
The ghost caregiver looked at his shattered arm, surprised, but soon his surprise turned to terror as he realized it couldn''t repair itself!
"Are you deaf? I''m talking to you."
The child leaped up, pping the ghost caregiver across the face.
The entire corpse embedded itself into the wall.
The ghost caregiver''s expression was one of shock, clearly notprehending what had happened. When his gaze fell on the child again, it turned into deep dread. ?
"I misspoke, sorry, please let me go."
The child''s raised hand paused, and after a moment''s thought, he said, "Alright, seeing how pitiful you are."
The ghost caregiver secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
But the child tilted his head, mischievously smiling. "Just kidding!"
The ghost caregiver''s pupils shrank, and he bolted for the door.
But he was toote. A small hand grabbed him, and like a rice ball, his body was bizarrely rolled up.
The child tossed him into the air, opened his mouth wide, and swallowed the ghost caregiver whole.
"Burp..."
The child let out a satisfied burp, pouting. "This thing really tastes awful."
The blond man and Lan Yan were too stunned to speak.
This little brat was unbelievably fierce!
Qin Nuo hadn''t expected the child to swallow the ghost caregiver whole. Amidst his shock, he felt a surge of joy.
With this little brat, they could walk through the night unchallenged.
"Brother, you haven''t answered my question!" The child waved the game console.
Qin Nuo picked up the console, nced at it perfunctorily, and praised, "Great progress, keep it up. Here''s your reward."
He handed a handful of Rainbow Candy to the child.
The child was content, part of his happiness from the candy, part from the praise.
That cheerful expression¡ªwho would have thought that just two minutes ago, he had viciously devoured a ghost?
Suddenly, Qin Nuo remembered something. "You came in, where''s Meng?"
"She''s outside," the child''s words made Qin Nuo uneasy. He rushed to the door, relieved to find Meng standing in the corner, looking at the ck blood on the ground and her little feet, her face full of indecision.
Qin Nuo breathed a sigh of relief.
Behind him, the blond man obtained his fourth puzzle piece.
Lan Yan said, "If I''m not mistaken, this is the eighth puzzle piece, right?"
The blond man didn''t speak, merging the newly acquired piece with the other three.
At the moment of fusion, a game announcement echoed in their minds.
"Congrattions to yers Phantom, Emperor, and Lan Yan forpleting 70% of the main quest progress. You''ve received the main quest clue auxiliary reward¡ªFallen Angel''s Holy Water ¡Á3!"
"Fallen Angel''s Holy Water: This is the holy water to punish demons, also the water of hope, possessing the power to obliterate evil!"
"Note: This is the yer''s only weapon to defeat the mastermind. Use it wisely; each bottle has a single-use effect. If used on any instance NPC, it will lose its effect."
When the voice faded, each of them held a teardrop-shaped ss bottle.
"The appearance of the main quest reward indicates that this instance is entering its final stage."
"Getting the main quest reward isn''t entirely good news. The game''s difficulty will increase significantly. It''s likely that the mastermind will make a move."
"Or rather, it already has!"
Lan Yan and the blond man, having experienced this game process before, showed no shock or joy, only heightened tension.
In theter stages of the game, yers would truly battle the main quest NPCs!
If yers win, the instance ends early, earning the highest score!
If they lose, all yers involved in the main quest progress will be wiped out by the main quest NPC!
"The potion can only be used once. We have three bottles, meaning three chances."
The blond man adjusted his sses. "At this stage, there''s no need to hide anything. Besides the puzzle, you must have other clues obtained from the instance tasks."
"Now we''re all in the same boat. Share the clues, and let''s pinpoint the most suspicious one."
"This is our best chance."
The blond man looked at Qin Nuo and Lan Yan, waiting for answers.
Lan Yan didn''t hesitate, sharing the clues he had obtained.
There were only two, both pointing to the night!
Qin Nuo nced at the little girl, thought for a moment, and only shared the clue about Room 606, which was connected to Lan Yan''s clue.
The little girl''s clue wasn''t fully investigated yet. Sharing it might disrupt the other clues.
"All pointing to the night?"
The blond man squinted.
What''s in the night?
What''s the most mysterious?
Only one thing.
Qin Nuo looked up, noticing the other two were also looking at him.
"Seems we all thought of the same thing, the White Shadow!"
"Its identity is the most mysterious, its power the most terrifying. Besides it, I can''t think of another suspect."
"If it''s the White Shadow, we don''t need to uncover its identity. We just need to use the holy water on it."
"If we''re right, game over!" Lan Yan said.
Qin Nuo rubbed his chin. "Good idea, but it won''t just stand there and let you pour holy water on it, will it?"
Lan Yanughed. "NPCs are just NPCs, not as quick-witted as humans."
"In an instant, we yers cane up with countless strategies, but the game''s NPCs only act ording to the game''s rules. That''s their fatal weakness!"
Qin Nuo didn''t speak, but hepletely disagreed with Lan Yan''s words.
If Lan Yan had experienced the Bloodstained Apartment instance, he would never say that.
"What do we do?" Qin Nuo asked directly.
"Use sound to lure it in, set a trap, and wait for it to fall into it. It''s that simple!" Lan Yan answered straightforwardly.
Qin Nuo and the blond man exchanged a nce, having no objections.
Though simple, it was indeed the most practical approach at the moment.
"I''ll use my holy water first," the blond man said.
If the blond man used his holy water to kill the mastermind, he''d undoubtedly be the MVP, scoring higher than Qin Nuo and Lan Yan.
Qin Nuo wasn''t too concerned about the best score reward, so he agreed.
Lan Yan opened his mouth, scratched his head, and waved his hand. "Suit yourself."
At this point, disagreements wouldn''t benefit anyone.
"Who''s going to lure the White Shadow?" Qin Nuo asked.
The blond man adjusted his sses. "I got the eighth piece."
Lan Yan shrugged. "I''m on myst life. If I die again, the holy water is gone. You wouldn''t want that, right?"
Both of their gazes fell on Qin Nuo.
"Don''t you have your buddy? He can protect you. You''re the best choice!" Lan Yan patted Qin Nuo''s shoulder with a smile.
Qin Nuo knew he couldn''t escape, so he agreed.
"Are you going to talk all night, or are we leaving?" The child came over and asked.
Qin Nuo stood up, patting the child with a smile. "We''re nning the most exciting event of the night."
"And we''re the main characters!"
"What kind of event?" The child was skeptical.
"Secret for now, but it''s about to start."
Qin Nuo spoke with enough mystery to make the child excited. He stopped ying his game, riding on Qin Nuo''s shoulders, asking questions nonstop.
...
A few minutester, the three found a rtively spacious room.
There were enough hidden corners, and the hallway at the entrance was a dead end, easy to block off.
It was the most suitable location.
The three quickly agreed and began preparations.
To be safe, Qin Nuo had Meng hide in a secretpartment in the room, instructing her not toe out no matter what she heard.
Meng was scared by this, but she nodded obediently.
Ten minutester.
In the room, Qin Nuo pulled up a chair in the open hall and sat down.
The child sat beside him, curiously looking around.
Lan Yan and the blond man hid in the darkness on either side of the door.
Opening a ss bottle, the blond man expressionlessly poured the holy water onto the de of a naginata. With the holy water''s blessing, the de gleamed coldly, appearing even sharper.
Then, the blond man nodded to Lan Yan and Qin Nuo before disappearing into the darkness.
The two didn''t notice that the blond man''s ss bottle still contained some holy water...
Lan Yan made an OK gesture to Qin Nuo, took out a metal ball, and also melted into the darkness.
Everything was ready.
Qin Nuo took the gun Lan Yan handed him and fired a shot at the ceiling.
Bang!
The gunshot shattered the silence in every corner of the asylum.
In the darkness, many things were stirred.
Then, they rushed towards the source of the sound...
"Brother, what''s going on?" The child watched Qin Nuo toss the gun aside and asked.
"The person who hit me ising soon. Let''s see if you can help me get revenge."
Qin Nuo spoke while taking out the Grave Ghost Stone, instructing the Blood-Eyed Ghost to be ready to act at any moment.
The White Shadow was terrifying.
He had to be fully prepared!
"Oh, no problem. Whoeveres, I''ll help you beat them up!" The child seemed rxed, patting his chest.
Then he added, "Eating them is fine too."
Qin Nuo was silent because he felt the air rapidly turning cold.
Moreover, the air currents grew more intense, windows being blown open one by one.
Qin Nuo wiped the sweat from his forehead, lowering his crossed leg, and stared intently at the darkness at the end of the hallway.
In the darkness, many things appeared.
But fearing the oilmp, they quickly dispersed.
Finally, a white shadow slowly emerged from the darkness.
It was here!
Qin Nuo held his breath, his voice low and emerging from his throat. "Buddy, it''s here."
The child also saw the shadow, putting away his game console.
The White Shadow''s gaze was sharp, fixated on Qin Nuo with intense killing intent.
Then, it charged forward swiftly!
At the same time, the child jumped off Qin Nuo and walked towards the White Shadow. "Those who bully my brother won''t have a good ending."
However, when the child reached the door, he suddenly stopped.
Qin Nuo was puzzled.
Lan Yan and the blond man hiding in the darkness were also puzzled.
The child turned his head, his pale face covered in beads of sweat.
He smiled at Qin Nuo. "Brother, I''m sleepy. Going back to sleep. If anything happens, you know what to do!"
With that, the child passed through a wall and vanished...
Qin Nuo was full of questions, not even having time to react.
Just like that, he ran away?
Chapter 97: White Shadow identity, oppression looms!
The child turned and ran without a moment''s hesitation.
Qin Nuo was certain he was scared off.
A Horror Level ghost, frightened like this?
"Watch out!"
The Blood-Eyed Ghost suddenly spoke, two blood-red eyes appearing on its arm. As corpse spots spread, bulging veins throbbed violently.
Qin Nuo didn''t hesitate, gripping the Grave Ghost Stone tightly. Using the terrifying ghost power from the blood-red eyes, he swung his arm, hurling the stone like a cannonball.
Whoosh!!
The White Shadow that rushed into the room raised its hand and caught the Grave Ghost Stone. The powerful ghost power caused its figure to pause momentarily.
"Attack!"In a sh, Lan Yan threw the metal ball from the darkness.
The metal ball transformed into arge, entangling the White Shadowpletely.
"Emperor!" Lan Yan shouted.
In the darkness, the blond man reacted just as swiftly. As the ensnared the White Shadow, he leaped into the air, thrusting his naginata fiercely at the White Shadow!
At that moment, Qin Nuo and Lan Yan''s eyes followed the de of the naginata closely.
However, just as the de pierced the White Shadow, their hopes were dashed.
The White Shadow suddenly unleashed terrifying ghost power, nullifying the force of the Grave Ghost Stone and sending it flying away. The was torn to shreds in an instant.
A withered finger gently flicked the de about to pierce its skull.
In an instant, the de of the naginata shatteredpletely!
The White Shadow reversed its grip, clutching the blond man''s throat.
The situation was instantly reversed!
Lan Yan''s heart sank: "We''re doomed."
The only hope, the naginata, was gone!
Qin Nuo, unlike Lan Yan, didn''t freeze. He quickly took out his own bottle of holy water.
If the first bottle didn''t work, then use the second!
Looking at the blond man in its grasp, the White Shadow''s killing intent surged, its five fingers suddenly exerting force.
On the brink of death, the blond man remained unusually calm, half his face covered in corpse spots, one eye turning pitch ck.
The corpse spots spread like maggots on bones, covering half his body.
From a distance, the blond man''s half body looked as if it had been severely burned, skin cracked and charred, emitting white smoke.
Half-Ghost!
The blond man had made a contract with a Burning Ghost for half of his body.
The White Shadow clearly didn''t regard the Burning Ghost, raising its other hand when the blond man suddenly struck first.
His right hand shot up, a hand de slicing through the darkness like a sharp knife.
But it only cut a piece of skin off the White Shadow''s face.
Instead, the White Shadow''s five fingers grabbed and tore off the blond man''s entire right arm, throwing him into the corner.
The disparity in strength was evident!
The blond man didn''t look at his injury, his gaze fixed on the White Shadow.
The White Shadow gripped the charred arm, about to crush it, when its body suddenly paused.
On its right cheek, the piece of skin that had been cut began to spread wildly, emitting arge amount of white smoke.
At this moment, the light screen faded, revealing the true form of the White Shadow.
Qin Nuo and the others'' expressions changed slightly: "Nun!"
But this was different from the nun during the day. The daytime nun wore a white habit, a cross hanging on her chest, devout and mysterious.
The one before them wore a ck habit, with an inverted cross on her chest, her face terrifying, filled with resentment and malice.
Now, that less than a finger''s length skin injury had be the nun''s fatal wound, her skin cracking like a dry surface, spreading all over her body.
In an indescribable terrifying sound, the ck nun''s skin ked off into powder, her body copsing bit by bit, finally turning into a pile of white dust, with only the ck habit remaining intact.
Qin Nuo and Lan Yan hadn''t reacted.
The situation had turned around again!
Lan Yan walked over, looking at the powder being blown away bit by bit on the ground, and stared in shock at the blond man still sitting on the ground: "The ghost inside you is so terrifying, why didn''t you act earlier?"
The blond man nced at him: "I was gripped like an ant by it, easily having an arm torn off, do you think that''s terrifying?"
"Then what happened?" Lan Yan helped the blond man up, ncing at the ground as he asked.
"I saved some of the holy water, smeared it on my hand. Only an idiot would use all the holy water on a ghost creature. Once the ghost creature is destroyed, the trump card is gone."
"The reward clearly stated that as long as the main holy water doesn''t enter the body, it won''t lose its effect."
"The other side must have known this too, prepared in advance, and could only be caught off guard."
Lan Yan suddenly understood: "Smart."
Qin Nuo walked over: "How''s your hand?"
"Not a big problem." The blond man shook his head.
The right arm''s severed end didn''t bleed, like a dry piece of wood being snapped off. His right half was parasitized by the contract, and in the game, he wouldn''t feel much pain or be affected. After exiting the game instance, he would be fine.
But the Burning Ghost inside him must have suffered some damage.
Qin Nuo picked up the ck nun''s habit from the ground. He finally understood why the child had run away in fear.
Lan Yan asked: "Are these the nuns from the daytime?"
Qin Nuo shook his head: "I don''t know."
These ck nuns were dressedpletely opposite to the white nuns during the day, and much more terrifying.
"This is the true face of the night nightmare. It seems there are secrets about the nuns we don''t know." Qin Nuo murmured.
"What''s worse, the mental hospital hasn''t changed at all, and the game broadcast hasn''t sounded..."
The blond man shook his head, sighing: "We guessed wrong, the ck nun isn''t the mastermind!"
The first bottle of holy water was wasted.
All three of them looked a bit grim.
The clues all pointed to the night, but besides these nuns, what else was there?
"The puzzle!" Lan Yan suddenly said.
"The eight puzzle pieces can form a rough picture, there must be other clues inside."
"Let''s piece it together and see." The blond man and Qin Nuo had no objections.
This should have been done yesterday, but it kept getting dyed.
However, as the three of them took out the puzzle pieces, whether by fate or coincidence, the temperature in the room suddenly dropped sharply again.
In the corridor, a flood of ghost aura surged in!
"Something''s approaching again!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost spoke.
Without needing its reminder, Qin Nuo and the others had already started moving, gripping their ghost creatures, eyes fixed on the corner of the corridor.
Soon, in the darkness, another White Shadow appeared!
In the night, there wasn''t just one ck nun!
The three of them instinctively took a step back, their ghost creatures feeling as fragile as toys.
"Use my holy water!" Lan Yan gripped the ss bottle, knowing it was the only thing that could counter the ck nun.
But then, a scene that made their scalps tingle appeared.
In the darkness, after one White Shadow appeared, a second, third, and fourth followed...
One after another, White Shadows gathered, approaching like an army.
An unprecedented sense of terror pressed down on the three in the room!
Lan Yan''s hand holding the ss bottle trembled slightly. Qin Nuo nced at him: "That one bottle might not be enough..."
Chapter 98: The mystery of dreams, people are tired and weary!
A single White Shadow had already left them in such a sorry state. Now, seeing countless White Shadows surging towards them, the three had never felt so desperate.
"Run."
"No way to run." The blond man shook his head. Their room was at the end of the corridor, unless they jumped out of the window to escape the asylum.
But this instance was closed off, with game prohibitions set up beyond its boundaries, making it impossible for yers to jump out.
"My journey in this instance ends here." Lan Yan leaned weakly against the wall, staring at the white eyes.
"Looks like I''ll have to use a life-saving scarecrow." Qin Nuo said with a grim face, feeling hopeless as he went to open the door.
As soon as the door opened, melodious music flowed out. Meng was curled up inside, listening to the music box''s tune.
"What happened?" Meng looked at Qin Nuo''s face, sensing something was wrong.
"Come out first, I need to tell you something."Qin Nuo brought Meng out, about to say something when the blond man suddenly spoke up, "Something''s not right!"
Lan Yan also chimed in, "What''s happening to them?"
Qin Nuo turned to look and saw that the ck Nun, who had already reached the door, suddenly stopped. Then, as if touching some taboo, they all retreated.
In an instant, all the ck Nuns disappeared into the darkness.
The intense Ghost Aura quickly dissipated in the corridor, and the bone-chilling cold gradually warmed up.
"They left again?" Lan Yan was full of questions, but more than that, he was overjoyed. This was truly a narrow escape from death.
"They''re afraid of something." The blond man said, his gaze falling on Meng.
The only change in those few seconds was Qin Nuo bringing Meng out of the room.
Lan Yan looked at the music box in Meng''s hand, his eyes shining brightly. "It''s this music box, it actually scared those nuns away. Could it be a disaster-level ghost creature?"
"No."
As soon as Lan Yan finished speaking, the blond man and Qin Nuo denied it in unison.
The blond man looked at Meng, whose pretty face was shy, "They''re afraid of her!"
Qin Nuo also realized that when they noticed Meng, they were filled with intense fear and retreated into the darkness.
What was it about Meng that made them so afraid?
The blond man watched Qin Nuo''s expression and suddenly asked, "This girl isn''t your patient, is she? Where did you find her?"
Qin Nuo touched his nose and said, "I met her in the asylum. She looked pitiful, so I let her follow me."
Lan Yan''s mouth twitched, "You''ve got a big heart."
"This just shows she has many secrets."
The blond man looked at Meng with sharp eyes.
Meng shrank back, hiding fearfully behind Qin Nuo.
"She''s lost her memory. Even if you ask, you won''t get anything." Qin Nuo said.
The blond man squinted his eyes, "You don''t seem like an idiot, yet you believe the words of an unknown ghost?"
Qin Nuo nced at Meng but said nothing.
Of course, he had his doubts about Meng, not just lying, but even suspecting she might be the mastermind.
However, clues are clues because they don''t directly identify the mastermind; they only indicate that the target holds secrets of the mastermind.
That''s why he kept Meng around, to gradually uncover her secrets over time.
But the blond man and Lan Yan wouldn''t see it that way; it was too bizarre.
The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat delicate.
The blond man''s gaze on Meng grew increasingly unfriendly.
Qin Nuo remained silent, pulling Meng behind him.
Seeing the situation turning sour, Lan Yan wanted to mediate, but the blond man suddenly shook his head and smiled, "Maybe I''m just being overly suspicious. Let''s not dwell on this." ??
He checked the time and said, "It''s almost dawn. Let''s call it a night."
"Though the game is entering itster stages and time is pressing, we did gain something tonight by identifying the White Shadow."
"Clearly, the ck Nun is just a pawn of the mastermind. After dawn, they''ll revert to White Nuns, managing patients and caregivers."
"We''ll definitely gain something by investigating the nuns."
Lan Yan asked, "So, we act during the day?"
"If possible, that would be best."
"But triggering the instance task from the patients remains the main goal."
The blond man adjusted his sses and looked at Qin Nuo, "Phantom Master, do you have any questions?"
Qin Nuo shrugged, "I agree with you."
"Then there''s no problem. Let''s rest, and we''ll deal with everything after dawn." The blond man said.
The other two nodded, having no objections.
"I''m going to the bathroom first." The blond man headed to the restroom.
"I''ll go too. I was so scared earlier, I almost wet my pants." Lan Yan followed.
"One bathroom for two grown men?"
Qin Nuo shook his head, squatted down, and asked Meng, "Do you want to keep following me?"
Meng thought for a moment, then shook her head, "I don''t like daytime. I always find a ce to sleep during the day."
Then she asked, "Will youe to the balcony to find me tomorrow night? I dance there every night."
"Sure, I''lle find you tomorrow night."
Seeing Qin Nuo nod, Meng smiled sweetly, then hugged the music box, and with bare feet, skipped through the wall and left.
Over there, the blond man and Lan Yan returned, seeing Qin Nuo alone, they asked, "Where''s the girl?"
"She left, she''ll appear tomorrow night." Qin Nuo said calmly.
"That girl has many secrets and only trusts you. If possible, I hope you can get useful clues from her."
"As I said, we''re all in this together, helping each other is the only way out!" The blond man said earnestly.
"Of course." Qin Nuo smiled slightly.
Over there, Lan Yan picked up the blond man''s arm and asked, "With one hand left, will it affect your work tomorrow?"
The blond man said nonchntly, "I''m left-handed."
Then, without saying more, the three returned to their rooms.
In the room, Qin Nuo took off his clothes and wiped his body.
Then hey down on the bed, his sore muscles finally findingfort.
"Your two teammates are suspicious of you." The Blood-Eyed Ghost suddenly spoke.
Qin Nuo remained calm, "I noticed."
"Because of Meng, their trust in me has decreased."
Although the blond man and Lan Yan tried hard to disguise it, some unnatural micro-expressions and evasive nces were still caught by the keen Qin Nuo.
"Teammatescking trust are often more dangerous than enemies. Be careful." The Blood-Eyed Ghost advised.
"You speak as if you have experience. Were you ever betrayed by teammates?" Qin Nuo asked with a smile.
"Shut up."
The Blood-Eyed Ghost replied with a single word and fell silent.
Qin Nuo ced his hands behind his head and sighed, feeling a slight headache.
This is why he preferred to act alone and disliked cooperation.
Once a cooperative rtionship breaks down due to some issue, you not only have to guard against enemies but also divide your attention to guard against teammates.
If you rx even a little, it''s often not the enemy who pushes you into the abyss...
So, cooperation is exhausting and stressful!
Chapter 99: Clear soup and thin water, brotherly affection!
In a half-asleep, half-awake state, Qin Nuoy there for a while until the rm clock on the wall went off.
The daylight outside seeped through the thick fog, filtering in, while the oilmp on the table conveniently burned out at this moment.
Qin Nuo sat up, rubbing his temples. "Another new day. If I calcte correctly, there aren''t many days left in the game, right?"
Putting on his caregiver uniform, Qin Nuo left the room. Once again, there was no game broadcast that day.
If nothing unexpected happens, thest few days will likely be the same.
Those yers who y it safe have already mastered the survival tactics for this instance. Unless the mastermind targets them, they can basically secure the rewards for this instance.
As Qin Nuo went downstairs, he saw a White Nun standing not far away, expressionlessly supervising the caregivers.
Seeing the White Nun, Qin Nuo thought of the ck Nun fromst night, holding an inverted cross, with a terrifying face.
"During the day, they seem to forget everything that happened at night. Is this part of the instance''s setup, or is it the mastermind''s secret maniption?"A fire at the psychiatric hospital years ago imed everyone''s lives.
Logically, ten yearster, it should have turned into ruins, yet the hospital is still operating unexpectedly, with strict order. The patients have a reasonable daily routine, the caregivers have a daily work schedule, and the nuns strictly supervise.
"Apart from the naked man in the bathroom, the girl nailed to the cross on the stage, and the nuns tormented at night, it seems like no one else has been punished or tortured. Some patients don''t even know they''re already dead."
From this, one can roughly infer that the mastermind hasn''t ced their resentment on everyone else, only targeting a few individuals for revenge.
Of course, all of this is just spection.
In horror games, having no logic is its logic!
After some contemtion, Qin Nuo decided to finish his work quickly today and use the spare time to gather more main storyline clues.
For now, the daytime is at least safe, which is an absolutely favorable condition for him.
Soon, Qin Nuo arrived at the patients'' rooms.
Room 303 was as usual, with no incidents. He took out some candies to calm Xiao Yue and the others.
Mute Sister looked at Qin Nuo and signed a few hand gestures. Bai Qu said, "Mute Sister is asking if you went outst night."
Qin Nuo replied frankly, "I did."
"But don''t worry, I have a good rtionship with the two patients in Room 301."
The implication was that he had their protection.
Mute Sister felt slightly relieved but still signed for Bai Qu to trante, "The patients in Room 301 are unpredictable; don''t trust them too much."
Qin Nuo agreed with this statement.
The three ghosts in Room 301 were all old hands.
Take the child, for example. He swore he''d protect him all night, but when he saw the nun, he was so scared he almost lost his soul and ran off on his own. ?
Luckily, Qin Nuo didn''t pin all his hopes on him; otherwise, he''d likely have lost a life.
After chatting with Mute Sister for a bit, Qin Nuo left Ward 303 and went to Room 302.
After a bit of chaos with Yue Qin, he finallypleted the patient check-in for Room 302 and then headed to Ward 301.
Upon entering, Zhang Ya, the dangerous woman, was unsurprisingly putting on makeup. The Evil God of Fire Cloud was on the balcony, and the newspaper had beenpletely reced by a magazine featuring bikini-d women. The old man''s retirement life was getting more and more indulgent.
The child was hiding under the covers, noting out, whether out of guilt or embarrassment to face Qin Nuo.
"What mischief did you take that little brat to dost night? He came back and has been hiding under the covers, shivering," Zhang Ya said nonchntly, ncing at Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo cleared his throat and said lightly, "I took him out for some growth."
Hearing the word "growth," Zhang Ya frowned slightly, thinking of something, and said coldly, "Disgusting."
"Right back at you; in this area, you''re the expert," Qin Nuo said with a smile, ncing at the lipstickbeled "Men''s Brand."
Zhang Ya''s pretty face turned icy, and she sneered, "You seem to be getting more and more reckless. Remember whose territory this is."
Qin Nuo took a step back.
"Ahem, young man,e over and light my cigarette," came the old man''s voice from the balcony.
Qin Nuo immediately responded, "Coming, Old Man."
With that, he turned and headed out to the balcony.
Zhang Ya nced at the balcony, her eyebrows furrowed, but ultimately did nothing and sat back down.
Outside on the balcony, Qin Nuo lit the old man''s pipe.
The old man took a couple of puffs, satisfied, and ced the pipe aside.
"Did you use that bottle of wine I gave youst night?"
"No, it turned out to be a false rm," Qin Nuo said.
"Then keep it; you''ll need it sooner orter."
The old man didn''t ask for it back and continued flipping through his magazine.
Qin Nuo always felt the old man seemed mysterious, so he tried asking, "Old Man, was it peaceful sleepingst night? Did you hear any singing?"
The old man chuckled, "Not only heard it, but also saw it."
"A little girl with bare feet, right?"
Qin Nuo was a bit surprised. "You left the ward?"
But thinking about it, it wasn''t surprising, since the child had also gone out.
"I did, but just to get some fresh air and then came back. The little girl is very shy; after a few words, she ran off," the old man said calmly.
His words were understated, and Qin Nuo felt the old man knew quite a bit. Maybe he could get some useful information from him.
Just as Qin Nuo was about to speak, the old man stopped him.
"I''m just an old man living a dull life after retirement, like in soup. If you want to ask something, you''d better drop the idea."
"I''ve seen through some things in the hospital, but I don''t want to get involved. This ce is like my home; I just want to live a simple life, that''s all."
"You''re a smart person; I don''t need to say more, do I?"
Qin Nuo, understanding the old man''s meaning, got up to leave.
"Hold on."
The old man suddenly called out to him again.
Qin Nuo quickly turned back.
"Do you have any of thetest magazines? I''ve finished reading these."
Qin Nuo: "..."
He tossed a couple of thetest magazines on the table and returned to the room.
Looking at the shaking nket on the bed, Qin Nuo pulled it off in one swift motion.
The child was crouched on the bed, ying a game, showing no sign of being scared.
Qin Nuo had really thought he was scared and shivering under the nket all night.
Seeing Qin Nuo, the child smiled unexpectedly, "Brother, you''re still alive?"
"Thanks to you, I almost didn''t make itst night."
The child pouted, "You tricked me first."
"If I had known it was a nun who would beat me, I wouldn''t have gone out with you."
Qin Nuo thought to himself that he didn''t know either, and sat down to ask, "So, what you patients are afraid of isn''t the nuns during the day but the nuns at night?"
The child nodded vigorously, "If you don''t behave at night and don''t sleep on time, the nuns will punish you."
"Last night, if I hadn''t run fast, I would have been caught!"
"So you just left your brother behind and ran off without a word?"
"This brotherly love, I''m so touched," Qin Nuo remarked sarcastically.
Chapter 100: Women wash their hair, hands in the bathtub!
In Room 301, Qin Nuo didn''t stay long before stepping out.
He quicklypleted the patient''s check-in work to use the spare time to search for more advantageous clues.
Qin Nuo thought about going to the restroom and the stage cross girl again; perhaps there were more clues there. It was the only ce he thought worth visiting during the day.
But as he was going upstairs, a piercing sound suddenly reached his ears, sending shivers down his spine. He turned his head and saw a woman squatting in the corner of the hallway, scratching the painted wall with her nails.
The woman was dressed sloppily, her hair disheveled, and her clothes in tatters, looking to be only in her twenties.
"A patient? Why is she in the hallway, and where is her caregiver?" Qin Nuo wondered as he looked at the patient''s gown she wore.
Despite his curiosity, Qin Nuo didn''t want to get involved and turned to leave.
However, the woman suddenly stood up and followed closely behind him, impossible to shake off.
After speeding up his pace and turning several corners, the woman continued to follow him like a shadow. Qin Nuo had no choice but to ask, "Ma''am, is there anything I can help you with?""Head, itchy."
The woman only said these two words, pointing at her messy hair, her gaze unsettling.
Hearing about the itchy head, Qin Nuo immediately thought of Yue Qin. Could this woman also have a penchant for stabbing her head?
As he pondered, the game''s broadcast sounded in his mind.
"Host has triggered a D-level instance task: Help the clean-loving woman wash her hair. The time limit is 40 minutes. Additional ratings will be settled after exiting the instance!"
"Is it really just washing hair?"
Qin Nuo murmured, triggering an instance task was exactly what he needed.
Rewards and ratings were secondary; clues were the main goal.
"You want to wash your hair? Of course, no problem. After all, I''m a professional caregiver," Qin Nuo said with a smile, his attitude suddenly turning enthusiastic, shedding the initial disdain.
Ten minutester, Qin Nuo followed the woman into a bathroom in a room.
The bathtub was already filled with water, just reaching the edge without overflowing, but the water was as ck as ink, obscuring the bottom.
"Are you sure you want to use this water to wash?" Qin Nuo asked suspiciously.
The woman offered no exnation, not even another word, just repeated, "Head, itchy."
Emphasizing the itchy head repeatedly, perhaps she had lice.
Qin Nuo thought but didn''t say it out loud.
The bathroom was very basic, with almost no shampoo products. Qin Nuo could only squeeze a bottle of thick liquid, unsure if it was shampoo or body wash, onto her tangled hair. ??
"Can I start..."
Before Qin Nuo finished speaking, the woman plunged her head into the bathtub.
Ssh!
Water immediately overflowed, sttering everywhere.
After her head submerged in the bathtub, the woman stopped moving, her tangled hair floating and spreading across the water''s surface.
"Washing for forty minutes might scrub the scalp raw," Qin Nuo thought as he hesitated before reaching in to start slowly scrubbing the woman''s hair.
The moment his hands entered the water, it felt like plunging into a snowdrift, the cold almost numbing his hands.
It was a challenging process.
The low temperature of the bathtub water was one thing; the water was as ck as ink, like reaching into a mystery box, evoking a sense of unknown fear.
As he washed, Qin Nuo''s hands paused.
Just like the naked woman who slit her throat in the bathtub that night, the hair of the woman before him wrapped around his hands like a living thing.
And the grip tightened.
"Ma''am, please stop ying around. I can''t wash your hair like this."
Qin Nuo''s mouth curled into a smile, his voice carrying a hint of coldness.
If the woman insisted on making things difficult, Qin Nuo would grab the bone-crushing hammer and give her a hard knock on the back of her head, abandoning this task.
Surprisingly, the woman actually listened, and her hair slowly released Qin Nuo''s hands.
Qin Nuo breathed a sigh of relief, scrubbed through the hair, and began to scratch the woman''s scalp.
The liquid he poured on didn''t seem like shampoo, washing very dryly. Qin Nuo hadn''t trimmed his nails for a while, and they had grown out.
So, soon, Qin Nuo''s expression twisted as he washed, his arms going numb.
Because it felt like scratching ayer of rotten flesh, with bits of it getting caught between his nails.
Utterly disgusting!
Qin Nuo frowned.
Was the back of this woman''s head rotten?
Qin Nuo had to lighten the pressure of his fingers, fearing that a little force might peel off a horrifying piece of flesh.
The woman seemed to have no sense of pain, not moving since she plunged her head into the bathtub.
Qin Nuo certainly didn''t think the woman was in any danger; the process of scratching her head was excruciating. He nced at the time, only 20 minutes had passed.
Qin Nuo stopped his actions and asked, "Ma''am, is the pressure alright?"
The woman remained motionless.
"How about washing your neck? If you don''t say anything, I''ll take it as consent."
He didn''t want to scratch her head anymore, fearing the scalp might be rotten.
Dipping his hands into the water to clean his nails, Qin Nuo''s gaze suddenly froze.
Floating on the ink-like water was something.
A finger.
Judging by the wrinkles and calluses, it didn''t look like the woman''s finger.
How could there be a man''s finger in the bathtub?
Qin Nuo was puzzled, and suddenly something in the water grabbed his hands.
And with surprising strength, it tried to pull Qin Nuo into the bathtub!
Whoosh!!
Qin Nuo staggered, frowning, and using his umted Ghost Power, his arms suddenly exerted force, breaking free and pulling his hands out of the water.
Ripples spread across the water''s surface, sshes spilling out of the bathtub.
"I''ve heard of men hiding under the bed, but a man hiding under the bathtub is a first!"
Qin Nuo held his wrist, red from the grip, hesitating whether to continue washing the woman''s hair.
This bathtub was too eerie.
As he pondered, his eyebrows twitched again.
From beneath the water, an eyeball floated up, followed by various horrifying body parts surfacing...
"Dismembered body?"
"Could this woman have killed the caregiver and hidden the dismembered body under the water?"
It''s not surprising that Qin Nuo''s imagination ran wild; in the Horror World, this was quite normal.
But logically, unless the caregiver made a significant mistake, patients wouldn''t harm them.
Or was the man in the bathtub just her scumbag boyfriend?
Qin Nuo checked the time, thought for a moment, and with his right hand, opened a blood eye, reaching back into the water to continue washing the woman''s hair.
No matter what you are, this hair must be washed today!
With the interference of the blood eye, whatever was in the bathtub seemed to dare not act up again, leaving his hands alone.
Hiss.
But at this moment, the woman suddenly released Ghost Aura, filled with intense resentment, permeating the bathroom.
"Why is this woman''s resentment suddenly so strong?"
After a moment of contemtion, Qin Nuo focused his gaze on the back of the woman''s head.
"Congrattions to the host for triggering the passive skill¡ªEye of Analysis..."
Chapter 101: Gem pendant, lock on target!
"The woman loved the man deeply. In the beginning, they were willing to give everything for each other, but after marriage, the woman found that the man gradually changed, bing impatient with everything."
"He knew she had a scalp condition that made her itch unbearably at times. When they were dating, he would put down any work to gently wash her hair with patience. Now, all he felt was disgust, and when drunk, he would grab her head and m it against the wall."
"Soon, the woman discovered the man was unfaithful and had a change of heart, but she chose to forgive him because she didn''t want their child to grow up in a broken family. One night, the man suddenly became considerate, knowing her head itched, he prepared a bath for her."
"When the woman''s head was pushed underwater, the man''s tenderness turned into ferocity, pressing her down with all his might. In her struggle, the woman stabbed a knife she had prepared into the man''s eye."
"Not long after, the woman, drenched, holding a chainsaw, looked at the blood-soaked bathtub and smiled in relief..."
"Another beautiful and heartwarming love story."
Qin Nuo murmured. Such stories happened too often in the instance, he was almost numb to them.
He didn''t know how to judge the woman''s story.
For the sake of her family, the woman endured the man''s disgust, domestic violence, and even infidelity. Perhaps in her heart, she still held a glimmer of hope that the man would change his ways.It wasn''t until the man desperately pressed her head down that her heart truly died.
The clock set aside suddenly chimed.
Time was up.
Whoosh!
Qin Nuo withdrew his hands from the bathtub water and wiped them with a towel.
"Congrattions, yer, forpleting the D-level instance task and obtaining the main clue¡ªthe missing pendant!"
As the voice echoed in his mind, a pendant ne appeared in Qin Nuo''s hand out of thin air.
The pendant was set with a sapphire, crystal clear and seemingly valuable.
"This time the clue is an object?"
Qin Nuo was slightly taken aback, examining the pendant in his hand. Besides the gemstone, there was no information about its owner engraved on it.
Just a simple pendant ne.
How was he supposed to conduct an investigation with this?
Despite his confusion, Qin Nuo put it away for now.
At the bathtub, the woman hadn''t lifted her head, but the thick resentment was gradually dissipating.
"Ma''am, if there''s nothing else, I''ll be leaving. If you enjoyed the head wash, feel free to give a good review."
Qin Nuo had no interest in meddling with the woman''s affairs any further. Seeing no response from her, he exited the room.
Havingpleted an instance task, Qin Nuo headed upstairs. The tortured naked man in the restroom might know something about the ne.
As it turned out, when Qin Nuo opened the door, the previously dpidated corridor was now perfectly intact.
Even the restroom had vanished.
Following his memory, Qin Nuo went to the opera room on the top floor.
As expected, the cursed girls imprisoned inside, the girl nailed to the cross, had all disappeared.
"Most likely the work of the mastermind."
"He took away all the cursed people, which precisely indicates that they hold secrets I have yet to uncover."
This was not just bad news.
It was also a dangerous signal.
It meant the mastermind had begun to act, and this was only the beginning!
Qin Nuo shook his head helplessly, not lingering any longer, and returned to the ward.
Afterpleting the caregiver duties, it was already six in the evening.
In the lobby, the remaining yers were receiving their work rewards from the nun.
Qin Nuo opened his pouch; the rewards were unchanged, still food, Ghost Currency, and an oilmp.
Lan Yan and the blond man approached, asking, "Did you find anything today?"
Qin Nuo took out the pendant ne and asked them, "Have you seen this ne before?"
The two were puzzled, "Where did you get that?"
Seeing their expressions, Qin Nuo put the ne away and casually replied, "Looks valuable, took it off a patient."
The two looked at him oddly, "Is this guy so desperate that he''s stealing from patients?"
"And you two, you must have found something after a whole day of work?"
Lan Yan''s smile was a bit stiff, "We found something, and it''s very crucial."
"Crucial enough that we''ve almost identified the mastermind!"
This statement left Qin Nuo stunned.
He hadn''t found any leads, yet these two had already identified the mastermind.
Just as he was about to ask, the blond man said, "We''ll keep it a secret for now; you''ll find out tonight."
Qin Nuo squinted his eyes and smiled, "You said we''re in this together, yet now you''re keeping secrets from me?"
The blond man didn''t offer much exnation, "We have our reasons."
Lan Yan patted Qin Nuo on the shoulder, "Understand, we''re all in it to win."
At that moment, the blond man''s eyebrows suddenly twitched as he looked behind them.
Qin Nuo and Lan Yan followed his gaze and saw that the sky outside the hospital was already darkening.
It was only a little past six.
"The night ising faster. Let''s head back to our rooms and discuss this tonight," the blond man adjusted his sses, picked up his pouch, and left.
Watching them leave, Qin Nuo furrowed his brows and turned away as well.
In just ten minutes, the twilightpletely faded, and darkness descended like a blitzkrieg.
On the table, the oilmp flickered slightly.
Qin Nuo checked the time, sat for a moment, then picked up the oilmp, opened the door, and disappeared into the corridor''s darkness...
His first destination was the open-air balcony.
The most terrifying ck nun of the night feared only Meng. Having her by his side meant he could move freely at night.
More importantly, a clue pointed to Meng.
Another clue pointed to the pendant.
Qin Nuo felt that Meng must have some impression of the pendant, and it might even help her recover her memory.
The balcony was deste.
At this timest night, Meng should have been dancing ballet on the railing, softly singing the ck Swan''s melody under the moonlight.
"Maybe I came too early."
Qin Nuo murmured, leaning against the railing, patiently waiting.
But ten minutes passed, and there was still no sign of her.
Qin Nuo began to frown.
It wasn''t impatience, but concern.
Could it be that the mastermind had also targeted Meng?
"There are traces of your twopanions in the corridor," the Blood-Eyed Ghost suddenly said.
Qin Nuo''s expression changed, "Damn, why didn''t you say so earlier?"
"You didn''t ask," the Blood-Eyed Ghost replied calmly.
"Don''t worry, they just left not long ago; you can still catch up."
Qin Nuo immediately left the balcony, following the Blood-Eyed Ghost''s guidance.
No need to ask, it must be Lan Yan and the blond man who took Meng away.
The reason might not just be to use Meng against the ck nun.
Recalling their words at dusk, Qin Nuo suddenly realized that the mastermind they had identified was Meng.
What clues had they found to be so certain that Meng was the mastermind?
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 102: Puzzle content, the key to victory!
In the first-floor hall.
Moonlight spilled across the floor, creating a serene and dreamlike atmosphere.
Three figures stepped into the hall.
Meng looked at the blond man and Lan Yan, blinking her eyes with some unease, and finally couldn''t help but ask, "You said you''d take me to find my brother. Will he really be here?"
The blond man and Lan Yan both stopped in their tracks, turning to look at Meng''s timid expression.
"He''s not here, but ording to the time, he might already be searching for you in the hospital," the blond man adjusted his sses and said indifferently.
Meng took a step back, feeling uneasy, "Wha... what do you mean?"
"We lied to you."
"I don''t know if you''re pretending or if you really have amnesia, but it doesn''t matter to us.""Holy water will help us discern!"
The blond man stared at Meng, a clear chill in his eyes.
Meng''s face changed, and she turned to run, but Lan Yan grabbed her and lifted her up.
Meng struggled desperately, and Lan Yan frowned, saying, "You''d better behave. I don''t like using violence on little girls!"
"Two grown men, tricking a little girl to another ce in the middle of the night, then saying you don''t like using violence, doesn''t that seem a bit misleading?"
Footsteps echoed in the darkness.
Qin Nuo emerged, looking at the two and asking.
"Brother!" Meng''s face lit up with joy upon seeing Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo didn''t look at Meng but instead focused on Lan Yan and the blond man, "Is this the mastermind you''ve been targeting?"
"Acting all mysterious, didn''t you have this ideast night?"
"Last night, we were just suspicious."
"And someone kept ridiculously protecting a ghost, unwilling to tear the facade, so we let it go," the blond man said coldly.
Qin Nuo shook his head, "I wasn''t protecting anyone, just didn''t want to waste another bottle of holy water."
"Without sufficient evidence pointing to her, using a second bottle of holy water is no different from randomly pulling in a patient, right?"
The blond man slightly raised his head, "Evidence, now we have it."
"The clues you got during the day?"
"We didn''t get any clues during the day, but we did thisst night..."
The blond man took out his four puzzle pieces.
Lan Yan also took out his two puzzle pieces.
When the six puzzle pieces were exposed to the air, sparks connected them, assembling them in the air.
Half of the puzzle was pieced together.
The silhouette revealed to everyone was of a girl in pure white clothes.
Even with only half a face, it was clear that the girl looked exactly like Meng!
Or rather, it was Meng!
"Do we still need an exnation?" the blond man asked.
Qin Nuo shook his head, "Too simple."
"Even if it''s a key clue, it can''t directly point to the mastermind."
Lan Yan said, "Or maybe it''s not asplicated as you think?"
"Don''t forget, the level of this instance isn''t as high as we thought."
Qin Nuo knew he couldn''t persuade them, shrugged, and gestured, "Then go ahead."
"Actually, I have a mystery that hasn''t been solved, and I can use your holy water to get the answer."
Lan Yan looked puzzled, ncing at the blond man, who nodded in agreement.
Lan Yan drew a dagger and made a cut on the back of Meng''s hand.
No blood flowed, nor did any white smoke emerge.
Meng didn''t seem to feel any pain, just looked at him in confusion.
"No effect?" Lan Yan''s eyes widened.
"Did you use too little holy water?"
Lan Yan''s face darkened slightly, took out the holy water, and handed it to Meng, "Drink it all!"
Meng was a bit scared, ncing at Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo said, "Girl, drink it, it''s okay."
Only then did Meng take the holy water and drink it all.
However, there was still no change.
Meng stuck out her little tongue, wrinkling her face, "So bitter!"
Qin Nuo walked over, picked Meng up, and shook his head, "Congrattions, you sessfully wasted the second bottle of holy water."
Lan Yan and the blond man fell into silence.
"The puzzle pointed to this girl, why isn''t it her?"
"There''s someone else, she''s just a very important clue, even the key to victory."
Qin Nuo said calmly, tidying Meng''s clothes, "Are you hurt?"
Meng shook her head, confused, "What do they want me to do?"
"Don''t worry, they''re just two kind-hearted big brothers who think you''re too cute and wanted to buy you a drink!"
Meng pouted, "It wasn''t tasty at all."
The blond man and Lan Yan: "..."
"Hope is slim, the clues in this instance... are really misleading," Lan Yan shook his head, muttering.
"Too early to say, I haven''t used my holy water yet," Qin Nuo said.
"You know who the mastermind is?" the blond man asked.
"I don''t."
Qin Nuo looked at the two, "So, I need your help."
"Your hope now rests with me, understand?"
Lan Yan and the blond man exchanged a nce and had no choice but to nod.
If they wanted to win now, the only thing they could do was try their best to help the Phantom.
"Let''s split up to find the puzzle pieces."
"Are the puzzle pieces still useful?" Lan Yan asked.
"Yes, we must find them all," Qin Nuo affirmed.
The blond man didn''t like to waste words, stood up, "I''ll handle the puzzle pieces, but I hope you won''t disappoint us."
"Show us that your 16.0 instance rating is genuine strength, not inted."
Qin Nuo yawned, nonchntly, "I''ll try."
"Even though your two teammates are a bit of a drag, I''ll try to carry."
Lan Yan and the blond man were both speechless.
The blond man said nothing more and turned to leave.
Lan Yan nced at Meng, "Are you taking this girl with you? Can shee with me? If I run into the ck Nun, I''m done for."
Saying this, Lan Yan squatted down, trying to win over Meng.
But Meng hid behind Qin Nuo, not even looking at him, clearly still shadowed by the earlier events.
Lan Yan scratched his head awkwardly, "Forget I said anything."
With that, he also left.
"These two idiots wasted an hour of your time and a bottle of holy water."
"Tsk, I told you before, there''s no need for cooperation, it''s like picking up two burdens!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost said.
"They''re still useful."
"They helped me eliminate two suspects, and I need them for the puzzle pieces."
"I have more important things to do," Qin Nuo said.
"What things?"
Qin Nuo didn''t answer directly, looking at the moonlight outside the window, "If nothing unexpected happens, tonight should decide the oue."
"The bottle of holy water in my hand will determine tonight''s victory!"
Saying this, Qin Nuo took out the pendant ne and squatted down, cing it in front of Meng.
"Girl, do you have any impression of this ne?"
Chapter 103: Drawing board memory, burning incense and worshiping Buddha!
Dream gazed at the pendant, her eyes slightly vacant, a hint of daze on her pretty face.
Her expression caught Qin Nuo''s attention.
There was definitely something there.
He remained silent, waiting for Dream toe back to her senses.
After a moment, a spark returned to Dream''s eyes. Qin Nuo asked, "Did you remember anything?"
Dream nodded, though her tone was uncertain, "I remembered some things, but... they''re just fragmented pieces."
"It''s okay, tell me what you remember," Qin Nuo said.
Dream''s small face showed a hint of conflict, and she hesitated, "I don''t know how to exin it, but I think I can draw it."
"Draw it?" Qin Nuo''s expression was puzzled. Where could they find a drawing board and pencils at this time?"There''s an art room on the fifth floor," Dream said.
"Then let''s go," Qin Nuo didn''t hesitate. He could only gather more clues from Dream, so he took her hand and left the hall.
The art room on the fifth floor wasn''t a professional studio. It was messy, with oil pencils and drawing boards scattered everywhere. Some boards were covered with strange and bizarre drawings.
Clearly, this was just a recreational room for patients.
Qin Nuo found a rtively clean drawing board, set it on the easel, and gathered a row of neat pencils. "Go ahead and draw," he said.
Dream shook her head, "One board isn''t enough. There''s a lot to draw."
Without wasting words, Qin Nuo found several more boards and arranged them together.
Only then did Dream pick up a sketch pencil from the colorful array and approach the board.
Then, with her eyes closed, she began to sketch out the fragmented memories triggered by the gemstone pendant onto the boards.
Her nimble hands moved swiftly across the board, like a printer, astonishingly fast. Within minutes, the sketch on the first board appeared before Qin Nuo''s eyes.
Without opening her eyes, Dream continued with the sketch pencil on the second board.
On the first board, a woman in a nun''s habit was pinned to the ground by a sloppy man, her clothes being torn apart by his hands.
The man''s perverse smile and intense desire in his eyes, the woman''s helpless wails and terrified expression, were vividly portrayed, almost shockingly so.
Though it was a static image, it seemed toe alive, as if witnessing a tragic scene unfold before one''s eyes.
"This child is truly a master of all arts," Qin Nuo murmured. The information from the first board wasn''t new to him.
He had already gleaned this from Constantine''s Cigarettes, from the cursed nun.
A filthy woman, vited by a filthy man...
The only surprise was that this woman was also a nun.
However, the nun on the board and the cursed nun from before were two different faces, not the same person!
By now, Dream had finished the second board, and Qin Nuo''s gaze shifted to it.
A woman was nailed to a cross, mes burning beneath her, surrounded by religious followers, heads bowed, chanting devoutly.
The woman, defiled, was burned alive on the cross by her religious followers...
This was also information obtained through spiritualmunication.
Could this burned woman be the mastermind?
If so, where was she now?
Qin Nuo muttered to himself, shifting his gaze to the third board.
The third board''s image was simr to the second, except behind the burned nun was a shadow, a child''s shadow.
"The implication here is that the nun secretly gave birth to the child of her vitor," Qin Nuo spected upon seeing the third board.
The fourth and fifth sketches depicted the religious followers discovering the nun''s child, subjecting it to humiliation and harm, ultimately burning it alive like its mother... ??
But as Qin Nuo looked at the remaining boards, his expression changed, growing more serious.
By the eighth board, Dream stopped, opened her eyes, and turned to Qin Nuo, "Brother, this is all I can remember."
"The rest is blurry. The more I try to remember, the more my head hurts."
"It''s okay, this is enough," Qin Nuo reassured her, patting her head. He took out a puzzle piece, looking at the eye on it, forming a hypothesis in his mind.
Could it be like this?
Isn''t that a bit far-fetched?
No, in a horror game, any bizarre and absurd plot is within the realm of possibility.
"Do you have an answer?" the Blood-Eyed Ghost asked.
"I do," Qin Nuo replied, putting away the puzzle piece. "But without concrete evidence, it''s just a guess."
"So, we still need to find all the puzzle pieces."
Qin Nuo took Dream''s small hand, and she looked up, asking, "Where are we going now?"
"To uncover the final truth," Qin Nuo smiled at her.
...
In the dark of the mental hospital, a horror sound suddenly echoed.
Then, with a few muffled thuds, the horror sound abruptly stopped.
A door opened, and the scent of blood wafted out.
A terrifying corpsey on the ground, and Lan Yan, clutching the door frame, emerged weakly, arge gash across his chest, blood flowing freely, staining his shirt.
"Damn it, this wound is too severe. I might not make it," Lan Yan muttered, looking at his chest wound with a grim expression.
He had found a new puzzle piece and triggered a passive task. He only needed to change the patient''s clothes andy them down toplete it, but the stench of the body caused a mistake, turning the patient into a fierce ghost that attacked him.
"All for this damned puzzle!" Lan Yan cursed under his breath, his face dark.
"Better find Phantom and regroup," he murmured, but as he turned, he suddenly froze.
Cold sweat dripped down his back as he stared at the White Shadow at the end of the corridor, a chill creeping into his heart.
Could he be this unlucky?
The White Shadow spotted Lan Yan and swiftly approached.
Lan Yan sighed, too tired to run. In his current state, even with wings, he couldn''t escape.
But halfway there, the White Shadow suddenly stopped, then slowly retreated, disappearing back into the corridor.
Lan Yan turned to see Qin Nuo leading Dream over.
"I saw the puzzle reacting, so I came over. Looks like it was a close call," Lan Yan said, leaning against the wall and sliding down, handing a puzzle piece to Qin Nuo. "I can''t find the remaining pieces. I''ll be lucky to survive until the game ends."
Qin Nuo took the puzzle piece and said, "No need for luck, you''re not dead yet."
Putting away the puzzle piece, Qin Nuo took out a roll of bandages and tossed it to Lan Yan. "Tear your shirt and wrap the bandage around the wound."
Chapter 104: Three pieces of fragments, make a plan!
"Is this thing useful?" Lan Yan asked.
"Wrap it up, no more talking," Qin Nuo replied without further exnation.
Lan Yan had no choice but to unravel the bandage and, with Qin Nuo''s help, wrap it around his chest a few times to cover the wound.
A few secondster, Lan Yan''s expression changed slightly as he saw a green glow emanate from the bandage, his face filled with astonishment.
Once the green light faded, Qin Nuo removed the bandage.
The horrifying wound hadpletely vanished, leaving no scar behind.
"This thing is amazing! Is it a reward from the instance? Howe you have so many ghost creatures? You''re only level 2, where do you get all these rewards?" Lan Yan asked in shock.
"Maybe we''re ying different games," Qin Nuo replied casually.
"If I''m not mistaken, we should only be missing thest three puzzle pieces now." Confirming his body was back to normal, Lan Yan twisted his arm joints and said."No need to rush."
Qin Nuo stood up, looked down the corridor, and asked, "Where''s the blond guy?"
"That nickname... I''m not sure, we split up, but I guess he''s at a simr stage as me."
Just as they were speaking, the floor suddenly trembled. Before they could understand what was happening, the sparks from the puzzle pieces red up and floated in one direction.
The brightness of the sparks was enough to illuminate the surrounding space.
"Why is the reaction so intense this time?" Lan Yan asked in surprise.
"Let''s go take a look." Qin Nuo let Meng sit on his shoulder, grabbed the oilmp, and ran with Lan Yan in the direction the pieces indicated.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, a wall suddenly burst open, with steel and concrete flying everywhere.
A ghost wielding a scythe emerged, its blood-red eyes filled with violence, and in one hand, it held the bloodied blond man.
"Toy, a beautiful toy!"
The scythe ghost examined the blond man as if admiring its artwork, then its eyes fell on Qin Nuo and Lan Yan.
"Two more new toys!"
Lan Yan took a step back, looking at the battered blond man: "He was just looking for pieces, how did he provoke such a terrifying ghost?"
Seeing the strong reaction of the puzzle pieces, Qin Nuo said, "It means this ghost has more than one puzzle piece."
As he spoke, the scythe ghost raised its arm and swung down fiercely, the terrifying scythe shing toward Qin Nuo and Lan Yan.
Both quickly retreated.
The floor was immediately torn open with a deep crack, the steel inside severed, and dust rose.
Lan Yan pulled out a shotgun and fired at the scythe ghost''s head.
The bullet pierced through the ghost''s face, flesh sttering, but it paid no attention to such injuries and continued advancing with the scythe.
"Even if it has pieces, we can''t get them, this ghost is too terrifying!" Lan Yan felt the shotgun barrel in his hand go limp.
"The only thing that can deal with this ghost is the holy water you have."
Lan Yan''s words reminded Qin Nuo, who then took out the bottle given by the old man and poured a little onto the Grave Ghost Stone.
"No holy water, I wonder if alcohol will work?"
As Qin Nuo spoke, he threw the Grave Ghost Stone at the charging scythe ghost.
The powerful ghost power pierced through the ghost''s chest, shattering ribs and sending fragments flying.
The scythe ghost took a step back, unfazed, and continued to approach with a sinister smile.
But then, its entire body began to rot and copse like foam.
The ghost''s face melted away like cheese, and it let out a pleading cry: "No..."
In an instant, the scythe ghost turned into a puddle of rotting, foul-smelling flesh.
Qin Nuo raised his hand, and the Grave Ghost Stone flew out from the flesh,nding back in his palm.
He was secretly shocked at the power of the alcohol.
Lan Yan couldn''t help but curse: "Damn, you have an absurd amount of ghost creatures!"
Qin Nuo ignored him and walked over.
The blond man crawled out from the flesh, leaning against the wall, looking barely alive.
Qin Nuo and Lan Yan felt no sorrow; after all, they weren''t close, and in the horror game, no one truly died.
The blond man raised a hand, holding a total of seven puzzle pieces, indicating he had found thest three pieces.
Qin Nuo raised an eyebrow, surprised: "Didn''t expect you toe through at the crucial moment."
The blond man coughed up blood, expressionless: "Don''t say I held you back."
"The puzzle pieces areplete, now it''s up to you."
Qin Nuo took the pieces and said, "Alright, you can rest easy."
The blond man''s face darkened: "I''m not dead yet!"
"But the death exemption card for this instance, once used, has a resurrection time of six hours, so I''m out for tonight."
"Hope when I wake up, I don''t hear you''ve been eliminated!"
"I hope so too," Qin Nuo said.
Lan Yan looked at the blond man, barely holding on, and couldn''t help but ask, "Want me to finish you off?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the blond man passed out.
It seemed like Lan Yan''s words had choked him to death.
Soon, the blond man burst into a cloud of ck smoke and dissipated.
Lan Yan stood up and asked, "Where to now?"
Just as he asked, a game announcement sounded in their minds: "Congrattions to yer Lan Yan, Phantom, and Emperor for gathering all the puzzle pieces. Main quest progress is 80%plete." ?
"Next, the game will enter the final stage of the main quest. The mastermind will actively hunt the yers. Good luck!"
Lan Yan''s face changed drastically: "The mastermind is making a move!"
Qin Nuo''s expression remained calm: "It''s already made a move, but now is the main event."
Qin Nuo took out all the puzzle pieces from himself and the blond man, and Lan Yan quickly took out his two pieces.
A total of twelve puzzle pieces floated in the air, assembling together.
The full picture of the puzzle was revealed for the first time!
Last time, the blond man and Lan Yan had only pieced together half.
Seeing the other half now, Lan Yan''s expression was filled with astonishment, his gaze involuntarily shifting to Meng, even more confused.
"I''m a bit lost, what does this mean?"
Qin Nuo said calmly, "It''s okay if you''re lost, as long as I''m not."
With the full picture of the puzzle, Qin Nuo confirmed his suspicions, holding the Grave Ghost Stone in his hand.
"Let''s go."
"Where to now?" Lan Yan asked instinctively.
"The first-floor lobby, find a spacious ce to move freely," Qin Nuo said.
"You''re going to confront the mastermind head-on?"
"The only thing it fears now is the holy water in my hand."
Qin Nuo thought for a moment and spoke to Meng on his shoulder: "Meng, I need to make a n next, something more secure, and I''ll need your help."
Though confused, Meng nodded: "As long as brother needs help, I''ll do my best."
Chapter 105: Exhaust the holy water, re-recognize!
At this moment, the night deepened.
The clock ticked away, the sound of an old European clock suddenly echoed throughout the hospital.
It was exactly half-past three in the dead of night.
The clouds in the sky dispersed, and the moonlight shone even brighter.
The darkness in the first-floor lobby faded, and the moonlight streaming through the main entrance covered the floor, outshining the oilmp''s me.
Qin Nuo and hispanions entered the lobby, cing oilmps in the surrounding corners.
Lan Yan held a shotgun, nervously scanning the surroundings.
"When will it appear?" Lan Yan couldn''t help but ask.
"Haven''t you seen movies? The final boss always likes to show up at thest moment," Qin Nuo replied."Ding ding ding..."
As they spoke, the sound of a music box suddenly came from a dark corner, clear and pleasant.
Qin Nuo and Lan Yan''s expressions changed slightly, and they looked at Meng: "Did you lose your music box?"
Meng took out her music box and said, "It''s right here."
The music box''s melody continued to echo in the cold lobby.
Lan Yan suddenly became alert, raising the double-barreled shotgun towards the darkness.
Meng tilted her head, listening to the music, her eyes suddenly brightening: "I''ve heard this music somewhere before, but I just can''t remember."
With that, Meng jumped to the ground and ran towards the source of the music.
"Be careful, this might be a trick by the mastermind!" Lan Yan''s expression changed, quickly warning.
However, Meng ran back immediately after entering the darkness, holding two identical music boxes.
"Look, I got another music box."
Meng returned, cing the wound-up music box on the ground, tilting her head, and listening intently.
Qin Nuo asked calmly, "Did you remember anything?"
"It''s very familiar, but I just can''t recall," Meng said, her small face troubled.
"Then don''t think about it," Qin Nuo said indifferently.
"Whether you remember or not, it doesn''t matter now."
After waiting another ten minutes, Lan Yan, tense and sweating, couldn''t help but ask, "Are we just going to wait here until dawn like idiots?"
Qin Nuo looked up, about to respond, when his eyes suddenly shifted, and he said in a deep voice, "It''sing."
A faint sound came from afar, growing clearer.
Lan Yan and Qin Nuo''s expressions grew more serious with the sound.
In the distant darkness, a White Shadow suddenly appeared.
Then, more White Shadows appeared behind it.
"ck Nun?!"
Lan Yan was stunned, then nced at Meng, and looked at the approaching ck Nuns, his face changing dramatically: "Why aren''t they afraid of this girl anymore?" ??
"I don''t know, maybe the mastermind is forcibly controlling them!" Qin Nuo said.
Lan Yan was shocked: "What do we do? This girl is useless, how do we stop these nuns?"
Qin Nuo squinted his eyes, snatched the shotgun from Lan Yan, and took out the Fallen Angel''s Holy Water.
"What are you doing? We need that holy water for the mastermind!" Lan Yan eximed.
"We can''t worry about that now. Better to use some of it here than die and have no chance even if we revive."
Qin Nuo said in a deep voice, pouring half a bottle of holy water into the shotgun.
A faint golden glow covered the shotgun, and as the nuns pounced, he fired decisively.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Shots rang out, shells flew, and fell to the ground.
The ck Nuns didn''t dodge, each one hit, falling to the ground, horrific wounds spreading across their bodies.
Two minutester.
With a click, the shotgun in Qin Nuo''s hand smoked, and the bullets were all spent.
The nunsy on the ground.
Lan Yan looked at the twitching ck Nuns and couldn''t help but ask, "Why didn''t these nuns dodge?"
Last time, the three of them barely seeded in getting the holy water to touch the ck Nuns.
Now, they charged like a suicide squad.
"This is the mastermind''s intention, to exhaust the holy water in my hands."
"After all, if the holy water doesn''t touch them, its power remains."
As he spoke, Lan Yan''s expression changed: "Watch out, behind you!"
Qin Nuo felt the chill behind him, quickly grabbed the remaining half bottle of holy water, and smashed it on the attacking ck Nun''s face.
The ss bottle shattered, shards flying, holy water sshing on the ck Nun''s face, causing it to fall and scream in pain.
Lan Yan''s face changed dramatically: "Damn, you used thest half bottle of holy water!"
Qin Nuo''s expression darkened: "It was too sudden, I reacted instinctively..."
"What do we do now?" Lan Yan asked, clutching his hair.
Qin Nuo frowned, clearly not expecting this situation.
Meng suddenly said, "Brother, there''s a room with another bottle of holy water."
Qin Nuo was surprised: "Are you sure?"
"The bottle looks just like yours, I saw it by chance."
"Why didn''t you say so earlier?"
Meng stuck out her tongue: "You didn''t ask me, brother."
"Alright, take us there." Qin Nuo nodded.
Meng smiled and nodded, then walked back.
But halfway there, she suddenly stopped.
Because she realized Qin Nuo and Lan Yan hadn''t followed.
"What''s wrong?" Meng asked, puzzled.
Click!
Qin Nuo reloaded a bullet into Lan Yan''s shotgun, then aimed it at Meng, smiling.
"Girl, let''s reintroduce ourselves, I''m Phantom."
Meng asked, confused: "Why say that?"
Lan Yan was also puzzled: "What''s going on, was this part of the n?"
Qin Nuo ignored him, continuing to smile: "No need to act anymore, do I really have to shoot you?"
"Mastermind?"
Lan Yan blinked, then his expression changed dramatically: "Damn, Mission: Impossible?"
"Didn''t you say this girl wasn''t suspicious? She drank the holy water before and was fine."
Qin Nuo nced at him, speechless: "Not the same person."
"When Meng went into the darkness and came out with the music box, she was already reced."
"Though it was only two seconds, I must say your speed is impressive, and your acting is excellent."
Meng''s face turned expressionless, her once clear eyes became murky, filled with malevolence, her voice hoarse and unpleasant: "How did you find out?"
"As soon as you spoke, I noticed. Although I haven''t known that girl long, I can tell her usual tone and small gestures."
"Besides, who would leave a music box in the dark for no reason?"
"Meng" tilted her head, a grin spreading: "As expected, you''re the most threatening."
"Let''s reintroduce ourselves then."
As the words fell, "Meng" in white clothes suddenly turned into a ck dress, her skin turned gray, her face painted with heavy, sinister makeup, hatred and malevolence filled her eyes.
A dense and terrifying Ghost Aura emanated from her entire body.
Her appearance hadn''t changed, but she waspletely different from the original Meng!
Chapter 106: Good and evil thoughts, a dream in the South Branch!
Looking at the evil version of Meng, even though they were identical, the feeling it gave off was nothing like the original Meng.
Lan Yan opened her mouth in astonishment, "Are they really twins?"
Qin Nuo shook his head, took out all the puzzle pieces, and pieced them together in the air again.
On the puzzle, there were two versions of Meng: one pure and innocent, the other sinister and resentful, like heaven and hell in a single thought.
The starkly contrasting styles were a shock to the eyes.
"At first, I also thought they were twins, but from thest few panels of the dream, it was clear that the nun who was **, who was Meng''s mother, only gave birth to one daughter."
"The nun, afraid her daughter would be harmed, lied that the child was abandoned and picked up, and fostered her in a mental hospital."
"But the good times didn''tst long. The vagrant who ** the nun was caught and confessed to his crime. In religious belief, nuns are absolutely pure, representing devotion to God. The nun''s actions not only defiled herself but also God."
"Mad believers tied the nun in the hall and burned her alive. The daughter watched her mother being burned to death, not with sadness, but with confusion as to why this stranger was treated this way.""Soon, it was discovered that the girl picked up was the offspring of the sinful nun. However, the conservative faction believed the child was innocent and protected her."
"Although the girl wasn''t burned to death, she was bullied by her peers during that time. A group of girls dragged her into the bathroom, stripped her naked, and one girl used sharp scissors to cut her face, making everyoneugh joyfully."
"The ragged girl didn''t understand why everyone treated her this way, and at night, she curled up in a corner, crying secretly."
"That night, a drunken janitor returned to the dormitory, found the girl in the corner, dragged her into the dorm room, and ** the twelve-year-old girl."
"The girl''s nerves nearly copsed. The conservative nuns tried their best tofort her, helping her out of the shadows, allowing her to see a glimmer of hope in endless darkness."
"Unfortunately, because the girl was **, the radicals used this as an excuse to overthrow the conservatives, hanging all the conservative nuns."
"That day, the sky was gray, and the believers were excited. Amidst cheers, they tied the girl to the cross in the hall and lit torches. The more the girl''s screams were heart-wrenching, the higher the believers'' cheers rose."
"Finally, the police arrived in time to save the girl, but she was already burned beyond recognition, barely alive. During the rescue at the hospital, strong hatred prevented her from exhaling herst breath, instead swallowing it, gradually losing all signs of life..."
"A breath of resentment, containing all the girl''s hatred, turned into a vengeful ghost after her death. That night, the radical believers in the mental hospital were celebrating, unaware of a bizarre fire that engulfed all their lives, sparing not even the innocent patients."
"After everyone died, the girl trapped all the souls in the hospital, turning it into a ghost hospital. The innocent souls continued their lives as before, but those who had tormented the girl weren''t so lucky..."
"The janitor who ** the girl was trapped in the bathroom, pierced by irons, enduring the pain of flesh being torn day after day, cursed totems forcing them into endless repentance."
"The girls who bullied her were chained in a secret room, and the girl who cut her face was nailed to a cross, suffering the cycle of skin being torn." ?
"The nun who lit the torch suffered endless soul torment."
"Afterpleting her revenge, the girl formed from hatred extracted another pure and kind consciousness, stripping her of memories, allowing her to live carefree in the mental hospital."
"To the girl formed from evil thoughts, the kind-hearted girl was her mental trauma. Healing her was equivalent to healing herself."
At this point, Qin Nuo paused, looking at the dream formed from evil thoughts, he said, "What do you think of my story?"
The evil dream smiled slightly, "The story is fascinating."
"But hasn''t anyone told you it''s impolite to tell someone else''s personal experiences?"
"It is indeed impolite."
Qin Nuo said, "But if you think stripping her of memories, making her forget herself, and living like an empty shell ispensation, then it''sughable."
"How is this different from those crazy believers back then?"
"In other words, the kind-hearted dream is just a puppet to satisfy your selfish desires."
Qin Nuo''s casual words seemed to strike deep into the dream''s soul.
Her terrifying face was covered with hideous ck veins.
"Shut up! You''re not me, so how could you understand what I''ve been through?"
"I stripped her memories, letting her live happily without thoughts, while I bear the painful memories. And you call thisughable?"
"You even say I''m the same kind of person as those sinful ones?"
"You, most deserving of death!"
The evil dream''s face twisted, her voice filled with intense killing intent.
Lan Yan couldn''t help but step back a few steps, whispering, "Isn''t provoking her a bit like courting death?"
Qin Nuo''s expression was grave. His act of courting death was merely to use words, like Liu Meng''s parents did, to break the evil dream''s defenses and trigger the Ring of Rights.
That way, he would have an extra trump card in his hand.
The evil dream sneered coldly, "So, do you think a mere childish gun is useful against me?"
Qin Nuo replied calmly, "The gun might not be useful."
"But what if it''s a gun doused with holy water?"
The evil dream squinted her eyes, "Didn''t you run out of holy water?"
"That was just a tactic to lure you out."
"Those weren''t holy water, just the old man''s liquor."
Qin Nuo said, "You revealed a bit. Once holy water is used on a ghost, it loses its effectiveness. Why did all the nuns fall?"
Lan Yan finally found a chance to show off, "This is the trap we set from the beginning, just waiting for you to jump in!"
The evil dream''s face was indifferent, "Is that so? Try shooting?"
Qin Nuo pondered for a moment and suddenly fired.
In the sh of fire, the bullet instantly reached the evil dream''s face.
But it was as if time had stopped; the bullet halted in front of the dream.
Qin Nuo frowned and continued firing, but all the bullets stopped in mid-air before the evil dream.
The evil dream snapped her fingers.
Immediately, the air in the hall elerated its flow.
From the surrounding darkness, white shadows appeared again, and more ck nuns walked out expressionlessly, their eyes turned white, staring nkly at Qin Nuo and Lan Yan like puppets.
"Is this still within your n?" the evil dream asked, tilting her head.
The kind-hearted dream emerged from the darkness, looking at Qin Nuo, then at the evil dream, and asked, "Can you let them go?"
The evil dream looked at her, puzzled, "Why are you speaking for them?"
"You are me, and I am you. Everything I do is for you, understand?"
The evil dream pointed at Qin Nuo and Lan Yan, saying, "They are disturbing our lives, making you remember those painful memories. Why would you speak for these unforgivable people?"
The kind-hearted dream lowered her head, murmuring, "But I''m lonely, they''re my only friends."
"I also want to see the outside world."
The evil dream frowned, "Why do you have such thoughts? I''m protecting you, can''t you see?"
"You long for the world outside the mental hospital, but it''s a hell where those filthy and ugly people did to us for their ridiculous beliefs."
"Do you want to experience it again?"
The evil dream''s face was fierce, staring intently at the kind-hearted dream.
The kind-hearted dream lowered her head for a moment, then nodded, saying, "I understand."
"I''m sorry."
The evil dream''s expression softened, gently caressing the kind-hearted dream''s cheek, saying, "That''s right, we live here, forgetting everything."
"The souls here are at ourmand, those who tormented us suffer a hundred times more than we did."
"This is our paradise."
"Since we''re in paradise, why yearn for the ugly world outside?"
The evil dream took the kind-hearted dream''s hand, stepping aside, looking at Qin Nuo and Lan Yan surrounded by ck nuns, saying, "Now, remove these people disturbing us, and everything will be as if it never happened."
"You will be fine..."
The evil dream''s words suddenly stopped, her eyes filled with shock.
Then she slowly turned, looking at the kind-hearted dream who had stepped back a few steps.
The kind-hearted dream stepped back a few steps, closed her eyes, and said, "I''m sorry."
"Remembering those memories might be painful."
"But at least, I want to know who I am, what my name is."
"Rather than being like a dream, never waking up!"
The evil dream looked down at the needle piercing her body.
Inside the needle, the holy water was rapidly disappearing...
Chapter 107: Eight Characters Kill Fate, instance ends!
The Evil Dream watched as the holy water drained from the syringe. In just a few seconds, his expression shifted from shock to confusion, then to self-mockery, and finally to relief.
"So, Phantom, this was your final trump card?"
Over there, the nuns who had surrounded Qin Nuo and Lan Yan suddenly froze, staring like statues.
The Good Dream lowered her head, apologizing repeatedly.
The Evil Dream''s face remained calm: "You don''t need to apologize. I am you. If you truly want to see the outside world, then go."
"But I believe you''ll regret it."
"Regret that everything I built for you was destroyed by your own hands."
As he spoke, cracks appeared on the Evil Dream''s face, and pieces of skin fell off, turning to dust and disappearing.
The Good Dream looked at the Evil Dream and asked, "I want to know, what is my name?""No name."
"After we were born, it was as if the world abandoned us. Bastard, mongrel, those were the names they gave us."
"Isn''t it pitiful? We lived without even having a name of our own."
"If you want, Dream can be your name from now on."
The Evil Dream walked over, gently embracing the Good Dream, and softly said, "Don''t worry, I''ll always be by your side."
With that, the Evil Dream''s entire body was covered in cracks, turning into a pile of dust and disappearing...
When the Evil Dreampletely vanished, the Good Dream felt a slight pain on the back of her hand. Looking down, she saw a purple totem appear, emitting wisps of ck air.
The Good Dream remained silent.
At the same time, all the frozen ck nuns quickly turned to dust and disappeared.
Lan Yan asked incredulously, "Is it over?"
"It''s over."
Qin Nuo nodded, tossing the shotgun back to Lan Yan.
Lan Yan looked at the shotgun in his hand and couldn''t help but ask, "So, did this shotgun ever get soaked in holy water?"
"Why don''t you smell it?"
Lan Yan took a sniff, his face scrunching up, "Such a strong smell of alcohol!"
"Damn, didn''t you say the shotgun was soaked in holy water? A trick within a trick, even I got fooled!"
Qin Nuo nced at him, "The shotgun couldn''t even hit the nuns. Do you think it could hit a boss in an instance?"
"This Evil Dream is stronger than a Horror Level ghost!"
Although the Evil Dream never truly acted, ording to the Blood-Eyed Ghost, it far exceeded the Horror Level ghost, possibly reaching Disaster Level! ?
A shotgun, even if soaked in holy water, would be a fantasy to hit such a ghost.
So, Qin Nuo''s mostprehensive n was the Good Dream!
She was the only one who could make the Evil Dream lower its guard.
Qin Nuo, of course, also had an element of gambling.
When the Good Dream first learned the truth and the n, she remained silent. No one knew what she thought or how she would decide, and Qin Nuo didn''t force her.
This was a battle with oneself, and no one else could intervene.
When the syringe went in, the Good Dream had already decided she didn''t want to be a soulless shell.
"Then why keep it from me? At that moment, my heart almost jumped out."
"Your acting is too poor. I was afraid you''d give it away," Qin Nuo said calmly.
Lan Yan opened his mouth but ultimately didn''t argue back.
Over there, Dream''s gaze shifted from her hand to Qin Nuo, "Brother, I might need to sleep for a while."
Dream''s body gradually became ethereal.
Qin Nuo walked over, seeing this, and asked in a deep voice, "What''s happening?"
Dream''s smile was serene, "It''s nothing, just a bit sleepy."
"You promised me you''d take me to see the outside world. You weren''t lying, right?"
Qin Nuo nodded seriously, "I won''t lie to you."
"See you next time."
Dream smiled sweetly, nodded, and then her body turned into a strange light, entering the pendant ne.
"This pendant ne, could it also be a terrifying ghost creature?" Lan Yan looked at the ne on the ground, eyes wide.
"No, it''s just a simple ne."
"The nun who was burned to death, Dream''s mother, left only this. The thumb-sized blue sapphire contains all of Dream''s thoughts."
"Like a music box, it was the first andst gift her mother gave her as a stranger, teaching her all the ballet and ck Swan dances. It was probably her happiest time in life, the only happy memory."
As he spoke, Qin Nuo reached to pick up the pendant ne.
However, the moment he touched it, the pendant ne instantly turned into a dark light, burrowing into Qin Nuo''s palm, moving through his body, and finally forming a totem with two wings on his chest.
One angel wing.
One demon wing.
"Could this be?" Qin Nuo''s expression changed.
"Yes, soul thought parasitism, another form of contract parasitism."
"Fulfilling the wishes of a departed soul, automatically forming a contract, parasitizing within the body."
"Congrattions, your body now hosts a second ghost," the Blood-Eyed Ghost said with a hint of schadenfreude.
Qin Nuo''s mouth twitched, "That girl didn''t say she wanted to see the outside world this way..."
"This form of parasitism won''t appear at any time, only when the host is truly in life-threatening danger."
"In other words, you''re not at a loss, you''ve gained a guardian angel."
"And this girl is not an ordinary ghost," the Blood-Eyed Ghost, clearly knowledgeable, said.
"What do you mean?" Qin Nuo asked.
"The mark on your chest signifies she''s a ''Death God Fiend'' ghost."
"In this world, ghosts with a Ba Zi Sha life are the most terrifying, almost at the top. The Death God Fiend is one of them."
"How strong?" Qin Nuo couldn''t help but ask.
"She could exchange a few moves with me when I had all nine blood eyes open," the Blood-Eyed Ghost chuckled.
Qin Nuo found it amusing, "So, after all that, you''re just praising yourself?"
"Believe it or not."
Qin Nuo touched the wing mark on his chest, murmuring, "So, with this girl, I can walk unchallenged in the Horror World?"
"Dream too much, and you''ll wake upughing," the Blood-Eyed Ghost doused cold water without hesitation.
"First, a ghost with a Ba Zi Sha life only means it has extremely terrifying potential, not that it''s already fearsome. Many die young, and less than one percent fully realize their potential."
"Second, this girl is very weak now, sleeping soundly, who knows when she''ll wake up!"
Qin Nuo didn''t mind, saying, "No matter, I quite like this girl. I named her, and when she wakes up someday, she might be more reliable than you."
The Blood-Eyed Ghost snorted, "Ba Zi Sha life, I''ve never been afraid. Back then, the ''General Star'' and ''Cmity Fiend'' ghosts..."
"Your glorious deeds, tell meter. I''m not in the mood to chat now."
Qin Nuo said, noticing the mental hospital was changing.
Those burn marks weren''t illusions; they were truly burning the walls.
The great fire from back then was reenacting!
The raging mes swept through like a gale, turning everything they touched to ash.
"Everything is disappearing," Lan Yan observed the surroundings.
"Everything was just imprisoned souls. Now that the prison is gone, what awaits them might be annihtion, but at least it''s a form of release..." Qin Nuo said.
Innocent souls being imprisoned, wasn''t that a form of torture for them?
Like the patients in each ward, their activities limited to their rooms, repeating the same habits day after day.
In Room 303, Xiao Yue, the twins, Bai Qu, and Mute Sister looked up at the night sky outside the window, their bodies covered in cracks, gradually dissipating...
In Room 302, Yue Qin leaned against the wall, also disappearing.
In Room 301, Zhang Ya stopped applying makeup, the child cleared thetest level, showing an excited smile.
On the balcony, the old man put down the magazine of a sexydy, leaned back in the wicker chair, picked up a tuft of tobo, took a puff of his old cigarette, and exhaled.
Watching the white smoke dissipate, he murmured, "Tsk, really can''t help it..."
In the dormitory building, all the yers noticed these anomalies, waking up in shock, bewildered by the changes in their rooms.
"What happened?"
"Congrattions to yer Phantom for sessfully uncovering the mastermind andpleting the main quest with yers Emperor and Lan Yan. This instance game ends here!"
"What, the game is over?"
Many yers'' faces changed dramatically.
Then, almost all the yers screamed in excitement, cheering and jumping for joy. The ten-day nightmare was finally over!
"So this is what it''s like to be carried by a god. If they hadn''tpleted the main quest, ending the game early, we would have had five more days of nightmare!"
"Thanks to the three gods, ancestors of our ancestors!"
"Who Phantom is doesn''t matter, they''re eternal!"
Then, beams of light descended from the sky, enveloping the yers, preparing to transport them back to the game space.
In one room, Fu Bing turned over, exposing his belly, snoring like thunder,pletely unaware the game had ended until a beam of light transported him away...
Lan Yan and Qin Nuo were also transported away.
Blinding light appeared before their eyes, and as it gradually faded, they opened their eyes.
The remaining yers all appeared in the void of the game space.
When the instance ended, the yers looked at each other as if they had be old friends, hugging tightly and wishing each other well.
The Emperor understood when he saw the game space, turning to look at Qin Nuo and Lan Yan behind him.
Lan Yan pointed at Qin Nuo, saying, "The god carried us, I was just support."
"The scene at the end, you missed it, what a pity, my heart almost jumped out."
"I really wonder if you took a calming pill to stay soposed!"
Qin Nuo said, "This might be the difference between people."
"This instance might have a 16.0 rating too?"
"Tsk, two 16.0 ratings, those guild people outside might go crazy again," Lan Yan couldn''t help but say.
Qin Nuo raised an eyebrow.
From what he said, Lan Yan was also one of those guild people?
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continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 108: Position card, territorial planning!
Lan Yan''s words caught Qin Nuo''s attention for a moment.
"Congrattions to the remaining yers forpleting this instance. Your scores will now be evaluated, which will determine your rewards."
"After iming your rewards, you will automatically exit the game instance."
The familiar voice echoed in the game space, and every yer wore their excitement on their faces.
After enduring this nightmare for so many days, wasn''t this what they had been waiting for?
Hesitating for a moment, Qin Nuo also received his instance score and rewards.
"Congrattions, yer ''Phantom,'' forpleting the ''Saint Yasi Asylum'' instance with a score of 6.1!"
"Additional Score: Instance taskpletion 7/¡Þ, earning a score of 5.0!"
"Additional Score: Main questpletion 1/1, earning a score of 5.9!""Overall Score: 17.0 points!"
"yer level has risen to Level 3, unlocking part of the System Shop."
"System Reward: Obtained tinum Treasure Chest ¡Á1!"
"Ghost Currency Reward: Denomination ¡Á600!"
"Item Reward: Position Card ¡Á2!" (Rare)
(Position Card Details: Upon use, the host can automatically select a position and rece it.)
"Note: This function card can be used both inside and outside instances, but must be within the Horror World."
"Territory Reward: Initial nning rights for territory industry!"
(nning Rights Details: Let the professionals handle professional matters. Industries, like territorial disputes, undergo annexation, expansion, decline, and fall every day.)
"Trigger Rights Condition: Obtain and sign an agreement contract for another''s industrial territory, allowing for modification and unconditional transfer of territory industry. The size of the territory industry matches the sess rate."
"The score went up, but the rewardscked ghost creature and skill rewards, yet there were two new things."
"Position Card, nning Rights."
"Thetter sounds a bitplex, but the former is a genuinely good thing."
Randomly selecting a position and recing it!
This function is far superior to a life-saving scarecrow!
Qin Nuo liked to save valuable things forst. After collecting all his rewards, he looked up at the others.
At this moment, as everyone learned their instance scores and imed their rewards, they were enveloped in a beam of light and transported out of the game space.
Lan Yan checked his rewards, a smile tugging at his lips, and looked at the blond man: "Emperor, what''s your score?"
The blond man nced at him, then at Qin Nuo, and said, "You should ask this guy. If nothing unexpected, his base score is 16.0."
Qin Nuo replied calmly, "I don''t care much about scores. I''m just curious, what''s the highest score for a set of instances?"
Lan Yan scratched his head, "That''s a bit of a humblebrag."
"I remember someone from Dragon Country got the highest score, around 17.0. Higher than that, someone in Western Europe seems to have achieved even more," the blond man said.
Qin Nuo nodded, having asked casually, not really concerned.
"Two scores of 16.0, if nothing unexpected, you''ll be even more sought after when you return to the real world. They''ll go all out to recruit a gaming genius like you," the blond man murmured, as if talking to himself, or perhaps hinting at something.
Qin Nuo feigned indifference and asked, "Will they know my true identity?"
"The login device''s true identity information is only known to the yer. If the yer doesn''t disclose it, no one knows who they are."
"Guilds can only use certain methods to know a yer''s login time."
"Some guilds use this information to have members log in simultaneously, matching with a specific yer in the same instance, and then recruit them online."
As the blond man spoke, his eyes remained fixed on Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo wasn''t foolish. He smiled and said, "So, you''re the member who matched with me in an instance?"
The blond man smiled faintly, "Sort of. Half because of the guild, half because of myself, wanting to see if your 16.0 score was genuine."
"Now it seems you fully deserve this score."
"I''m the Emperor of the Ned Guild. I wanted to ask if you''re interested..."
"Not interested," Qin Nuo shook his head without hesitation. "I prefer to go solo, used to being alone."
The blond man wasn''t surprised and continued, "The Horror Game isn''t as simple as you think. There are many rules you don''t know about."
"Joining a guild will provide you with more useful conditions and resources, as well as protection."
In that sentence, the blond man emphasized the word "protection."
His gaze intentionally fell on Qin Nuo''s right arm: "Half-Ghosts in the real world are more dangerous than in the Horror World. They treat Half-Ghosts without background or strength as prey."
"Since the Horror Game appeared, the real world has changed significantly. The surface calm is just a facade, with people mysteriously killed or disappearing every day behind the scenes."
"At this time, a guild is like a campfire for everyone to huddle around for warmth."
"Those outside the campfire will be engulfed in darkness, facing enemies on all sides."
"You should understand what I mean," the blond man smiled slightly.
Qin Nuo shrugged and said, "I understand."
"But I''m still not interested in joining a team."
Even if Qin Nuo was tempted, he had no choice but to refuse.
What set him apart from all other yers was the System''s enhancement, which was both a golden finger and a hot potato for Qin Nuo.
If he coborated with a guild, they''d eventually discover some clues.
In an organization built solely on interests, once this secret was exposed, he''d truly be surrounded by enemies!
The blond man wasn''t in a hurry and said, "No need to reply immediately. Think it over."
"If you change your mind,e find me at 46 Haitang Street, Tianding District, Jinzhou. My name is Fang Ye," the blond man said.
Qin Nuo''s eyebrows twitched, "This blond guy revealed his true identity?"
Of course, it could be false information.
Lan Yan couldn''t help but say, "Damn, the Emperor doesn''t need to go this far to recruit someone, right?"
Saying this, he quickly told Qin Nuo the address of his own guild: "Don''t trust that blond guy. He used to be in sales, and he''s quite persuasive."
"Join my Yan Pavilion Guild. The benefits are generous, the sry is high, and we offer full insurance and housing fund."
"You enter the Horror Game mainly for instance rewards. Let me tell you, after joining a guild, you can use a mechanism to match low-level instances for high-level rewards. Besides this, there are many other benefits unique to guilds!"
Qin Nuo watched Lan Yan speak enthusiastically andughed, "You seem more like a salesman."
The blond man said no more. He had said what needed to be said, and the choice was up to others. A beam of light enveloped him, and he was transported out of the game space.
Soon, Lan Yan was also forcibly transported out of the game space.
In the vast void, only Qin Nuo remained.
Qin Nuo opened the teleportation panel.
One option was to teleport back to the real world.
The other was to teleport to the Red Moon Convenience Store.
Qin Nuo confirmed the second option.
He hadn''t forgotten that entering the Horror World this time,pleting the instance game was secondary. The main goal was to build the Red Moon Convenience Store and return to the Nether Springs Restaurant from the first instance to purchase important ingredients...
Chapter 109: Strongly targeted, job candidates!
"Would the Host like to be transported to all territories¡ªRed Moon Convenience Store?"
"Yes." Qin Nuo nodded.
As soon as the words fell, his vision was enveloped in white light, forcing him to close his eyes due to the intense stimtion.
When he opened them again, he found himself on a cobblestone path by the roadside.
At the end of the cobblestone path was the Red Moon Convenience Store.
Back again, the store had undergone another transformation.
At the entrance, a new fence enclosed a small garden, with meticulously trimmed trees and flowers. There were also new decorations, including potted nts, two stone lions, and outdoor seating.
Li Tongtong, dressed in a maid outfit, was humming a tune while watering the nts she had cultivated.
Qin Nuo opened the gate and walked in."Wee! Our store is struggling and is about to be transferred. We''re having a clearance sale, everything is being sold at a discount, don''t miss out!" Li Tongtong recited her well-practiced lines while watering the nts.
Qin Nuo frowned, "Transfer? Did I ever say that?"
Li Tongtong was startled, turned around, and saw Qin Nuo with a half-smile. She quickly stood up and tossed the watering can aside, "Boss, you''re back from your trip?"
"Those words I just said were on purpose, a marketing tactic to trick some foolish ghosts!"
"Is the store''s new look also your doing?"
"Yes, doesn''t it look much prettier?" Li Tongtong asked, seeking praise.
Qin Nuo poured cold water on her enthusiasm, "This is my store, not your little love nest. Adding too many unnecessary things makes it look like a brothel."
Li Tongtong lowered her head, "Oh."
"Where''s Yuan Shan?"
"Inside, organizing the stock."
After saying that, Li Tongtong whispered a little report, "That guy has been cking off these days and even sneaked some soon-to-expire self-heating oden."
"Reporting others is generally frowned upon, but for me, you did the right thing."
Qin Nuo patted Li Tongtong on the shoulder and walked into the store.
Inside, the store was much improved since thest surprise inspection. The floor was clean, and the shelves were neatly arranged, but there were still very few customers, making it feel quite deserted.
Yuan Shan was holding a feather duster, yawning as he cleaned the shelves.
A White Shadow moved between the shelves, then carried two ck-packaged boxes to the counter.
Li Tongtong quickly went to the counter to ring up the purchase.
The White Shadow nced at Qin Nuo, slightly startled, "Howe your store has an old..."
Halfway through the sentence, the White Shadow''s gazended on Qin Nuo''s right arm and fell silent.
Li Tongtong handed over the goods with a forced smile, "Customer, this is our boss!"
The White Shadow''s eyes were filled with astonishment and confusion.
Sensing Li Tongtong''s hostility, the White Shadow said nothing more and quickly left the store.
Over there, Yuan Shan saw Qin Nuo and hurriedly came over with the feather duster, politely greeting, "Boss."
Qin Nuo nodded and said to Li Tongtong, "Bring me the ount book."
Li Tongtong quickly took out a thick, old ount book from the drawer and handed it over obediently.
Qin Nuo took it, nced at it, initially pretending to ponder, but soon realized he couldn''t understand a single word.
True ghost scribbles!
Closing the ount book, Qin Nuo straightforwardly asked, "How''s the store''s revenue these days?"
"It''s starting to improve, but we''re still losing money," Li Tongtong said helplessly.
"The Other Shore Convenience Store across the street saw our renovations and did aplete overhaul themselves, then opened two more branches, blocking all the customer flow at the street entrances, leaving our street deserted." ?
"Also, without a supply source, many of our products have expired," Yuan Shan added.
"The boss of the Other Shore Convenience Store has been targeting us all along. If this continues..."
"Last night, several shadows sneaked into the store to cause trouble. I caught one and strangled it, but the others got away," Li Tongtong said, waving her little fist.
"They were employees from the store across the street."
Qin Nuo frowned and asked, "Are they really that aggressive?"
"Several nearby stores have been driven out of business. They want to monopolize the area, and we''re thest one standing," Yuan Shan said.
Qin Nuo walked to the entrance and looked across the street.
In the hazy white fog, he could vaguely see the outline of a convenience store, glowing red.
Qin Nuo returned, and Li Tongtong and Yuan Shan exchanged a nce, asking, "Boss, are you nning to run away?"
Qin Nuo chuckled, "Why would I run away? We haven''t gone bankrupt yet!"
"But their scale is toorge. Our store''s area isn''t even half of theirs, and we can''tpete with their traffic and investment. Plus, our supply issue is still a problem," Yuan Shan said, slumping his shoulders.
Qin Nuo found a chair and sat down, cing his hands on the table, fingers interlocked, "So we need a professional ghost to help us manage the store."
"I doubt anyone would want toe," Yuan Shan muttered under his breath.
"I''ve already recruited one," Qin Nuo said.
Ignoring the surprised looks from Li Tongtong and Yuan Shan, Qin Nuo opened the System Store.
The yer Level had risen to 3, unlocking many new items, and the position of "Assistant Manager" was prominently listed.
"The price is 6,200 Ghost Currency!"
Qin Nuo''s eyelid twitched.
His total savings were just over ten thousand Ghost Currency, and this one position would cost him half of that!
Moreover, this was just the purchase price; there was also a monthly sry to consider, with a two-month probation period, and it was twice as high as Li Tongtong''s and Yuan Shan''s sries.
But after a moment''s thought, Qin Nuo confirmed the purchase.
With moneyes responsibility, and the assistant manager''s role included managing employees, sourcing supplies, and running the store.
Expensive, yes, but worth it!
Once the profits rolled in, it would be a life of sitting back and collecting money.
"Ding, congrattions to the Host for unlocking the ''Assistant Manager'' position. The best candidate has been found and will arrive at the store in two minutes!"
"So simple, so efficient?" Qin Nuo was taken aback, a bit surprised.
Li Tongtong and Yuan Shan were still puzzled.
Soon, there was amotion outside.
"Ding-a-ling!"
The store door opened, and the bell above jingled.
An elegantly dressed old man in a suit, carrying a leather briefcase, walked in.
The old man had a mustache, a serious demeanor, meticulouslybed graying hair, deep-set eyes, and an inexplicable charm, exuding a powerful and mysterious aura.
Li Tongtong quickly went to the cash register, looking at the old man, thinking he was quite handsome, and said with a smile, "Hello, may I help you with anything?"
"My name is Liao Shen, and I''m here to apply for the position of assistant manager at this store."
The old man set down his briefcase, his voice rich and maic.
Chapter 110: Liao Shen handles affairs, public transportation routes!
Li Tongtong blinked in surprise and said, "Someone actually came to apply?"
Liao Shen looked at her and said, "It seems you''re not the boss."
Then, his gaze shifted to Yuan Shan and Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo smiled slightly, "Hello, I am the boss here."
When Liao Shen saw Qin Nuo, a hint of surprise shed in his eyes, but he quickly regained hisposure and said calmly, "Then let''s sit down and talk."
He then took a seat nearby.
Qin Nuo raised an eyebrow; this old man didn''t seem like a simple character. He appeared experienced, which suited Qin Nuo just fine.
He liked dealing with smart people and ghosts, as it saved a lot of trouble and problems.
Qin Nuo gestured to Li Tongtong, who quickly went to pour two sses of water and ced them on the table.After sitting down, Qin Nuo got straight to the point, candidly discussing the current crisis facing the store and the responsibilities that came with the position.
Listening to this, Yuan Shan and Li Tongtong felt overwhelmed, fearing the old man might just grab his suitcase and leave.
Unexpectedly, Liao Shen remained calm after hearing everything, took a sip of water, and said, "So, what I need to do now is find a source of goods?"
Qin Nuo nodded, "That''s the biggest challenge at the moment."
Liao Shen nodded and said directly, "Alright, give me two days, and I''ll solve it."
"Then there''s the issue ofpetitors," Li Tongtong chimed in.
"Handsome old man, can you handle that?"
"This involves strategic operations. To maximize the store''s operations, the most direct and effective way is to eliminate thepetition."
"I''ve already looked into the Other Shore Convenience Store. They have substantial resources and arge scale, making it very challenging."
"But for me, it''s solvable." Liao Shen''s nonchnt words left Li Tongtong and Yuan Shan wide-eyed.
This old man was too confident!
Qin Nuo was secretly pleased; hiring this deputy manager for 1200 Ghost Currency was a bargain.
"The prerequisite is that a small condition needs to be met," Liao Shen added.
Qin Nuo immediately said, "Just tell me, and I''ll try to provide."
"Resources. To deal with such a formidablepetitor, about 10,000 Ghost Currency is needed."
Liao Shen looked at Qin Nuo, "Can this small condition be met?"
Qin Nuo''s expression stiffened for a moment, then he asked, "Can we knock off a zero?"
Liao Shen didn''t speak, but his eyes said it all.
Are you kidding me?
Qin Nuo coughed lightly and said, "Just focus on solving the supply issue. I''ll handle the Other Shore Convenience Store."
Liao Shen was a bit skeptical, "You''ll handle it?"
Qin Nuo smiled, "I didn''t be the store manager out of nowhere. Don''t underestimate me."
In fact, he did be the store manager out of nowhere...
"Alright, wait for my news."
Liao Shen said no more, picked up his suitcase, and left the store.
Li Tongtong said with a bit of infatuation, "This old man seems so charming!"
Yuan Shan pursed his lips, "I don''t see it. More like a boastful old man."
Qin Nuo nced at the two and said pointedly, "Perhaps you should reflect. The new hire is already on a business trip, and his work attitude and efficiency are miles ahead of yours."
Li Tongtong and Yuan Shan scratched their heads and muttered, "If we had his sry, we''d be just as diligent!"
"Besides, our work is prettyid-back..."
Qin Nuo looked out the window and said, "Since it''s soid-back, I''ll give you a small task. In two days, help me investigate the background of the Other Shore Convenience Store. The more information, the better."
Li Tongtong blinked her big eyes and curiously asked, "Boss, what are you going to do?"
"Kids shouldn''t ask too many questions. Just listen to the boss," Qin Nuo said.
Li Tongtong pouted, "You''re only two years older than me."
Afterward, Qin Nuo lingered in the store for a while longer. When the time seemed right, he called Yuan Shan over from the shelves.
"Boss, what''s up?" Yuan Shan asked, wiping his hands as he approached.
"Do you know where the Nether Springs Restaurant is?" Qin Nuo asked, putting the Other Shore Convenience Store issue aside for now to solve the Blood-Eyed Ghost''s ingredient problem.
Yuan Shan shook his head, "Never heard of it, but I can help you find it on the map."
"A map? Let me see."
Qin Nuo hadn''t expected there to be a map in the Horror World. In such a chaotic world, where an area could be swallowed at any moment, how was a map even constructed?
Yuan Shan quickly brought over the map.
Qin Nuo took it, nced at it, and was instantly dazzled.
This map was more chaotic than a maze!
Various irregrities were disyed, like several tangled balls of yarn, intricately woven with seven or eight different colored lines. Only a ghost could understand it!
In fact, only a ghost could understand it.
Yuan Shan leaned over to look for a while, then smiled and said, "Boss, I found the location of the Nether Springs Restaurant."
Yuan Shan pointed to a spot on the map that Qin Nuo couldn''t decipher, so he asked, "How do I get there?"
"It''s simple. Walk a hundred meters from the door, wait for the 404 bus, and the eleventh stop is the Nether Springs Restaurant," Yuan Shan said.
Qin Nuo hadn''t expected the route to be so straightforward. As the sky darkened, he handed the map back to Yuan Shan and got up to prepare.
Yuan Shan asked, "Boss, are you heading out?"
"Just a short trip. If all goes well, I''ll be back tomorrow."
At the front desk, Li Tongtong quickly slurped a strand of snail noodles and, hearing this, stood up and said, "Safe travels, boss! Goodbye, boss!"
"Stealing food is fine, just wipe your mouth clean. It affects the store''s image," Qin Nuo said, noting her greasy mouth before leaving the store.
Reaching the roadside, the dim light cast a grayish hue on both sides, and the air was cool, evoking a sense of a deste apocalypse.
Qin Nuo walked about a hundred meters and saw a bus stop.
He sat on the bench, thinking how the bus was associated with 404, unable to shake off this unlucky number.
After a while, a bus arrived.
The bus was extremely dpidated, even the front was misshapen, with the hood popped open and the engine spewing ck smoke, creaking as it approached.
The bus windows were smeared with blood, and as it stopped, ghosts with broken limbs or cracked heads stumbled off.
They stared at Qin Nuo, shuffled over, then sniffed the Ghost Aura on him and dispersed.
Throughout, Qin Nuo remained calm.
After three instances, such a scene had be as routine as drinking tea or eating for him.
After sitting for a while longer, the air suddenly turned colder, and ayer of white frost formed on the bench.
Qin Nuo frowned and turned to see a tall figure emerging from the white mist.
It was a Stitching Ghost, covered in stitches, with twisted faces sewn onto its body, seemingly alive, opening wide mouths to emit eerie wails.
The Stitching Ghost stared at Qin Nuo, its eyes filled with intense greed.
"Your face is quite nice."
Qin Nuo looked at it, a slight smile appearing on his calm and somewhat handsome face, "And then?"
Two blood eyes opened on his arm, corpse spots spreading...
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Chapter 111: Back to the restaurant, warm and healing!
The ghost aura released from Qin Nuo''s body caused the Stitching Ghost''s greedy gaze to diminish significantly. It spat out disdainfully, "Another disgusting half-rat."
Its tone was filled with disgust, as if a delicious meal had been tainted with filth, losing all its appeal.
Ding!
At that moment, a bus approached from afar and stopped by the bus stop. The Stitching Ghost didn''t immediately board the bus.
Qin Nuo nced at the bus number; it was indeed 404, so he followed and got on.
There were quite a few passengers on the bus. The Stitching Ghost sat at the back, and once it saw Qin Nuo board, its eyes never left him.
The other passengers all turned their gaze towards Qin Nuo as he got on, but upon seeing his arm, they quickly averted their eyes in apprehension. That was no weak ghost.
The predatory look in their eyes vanished instantly.
This situation made Qin Nuo understand a bit more.Whether in the Horror World or the real world, Half-Ghosts yed a special role. If the ghost they contracted with was strong, others wouldn''t dare speak or even avoided them. But if the ghost was weak, they became prey.
This reminded Qin Nuo of the first time he took the ghost bus, where a mysterious man in a suit moved freely inside, and the ghosts on the bus ignored him, even feared him.
The little Half-Ghost girl at the Nether Springs Restaurant was even more terrifying. She crushed a ghost in front of everyone, and no ghost dared to make a sound. Even her servant could casually pull down the head of a ghost from the restaurant''s second floor, showing just how formidable she was.
To walk freely in the Horror World, capital was crucial, treating humans, Half-Ghosts, and ghosts equally.
The eleven stops felt long, with passengersing and going, but the Stitching Ghost at the back never got off.
"Ding, the stop for Nether Springs Restaurant has arrived. Passengers needing to disembark, please take your belongings with you!"
"The next stop is Resentment Cemetery."
"The final stop for this bus is ck Crow Ghost School!"
Hearing the announcement, Qin Nuo immediately stood up. Coincidentally or not, the Stitching Ghost also got off and signed Qin Nuo''s name.
"Oh, you''re going to that restaurant too? They don''t wee half-rats there!" the Stitching Ghost said with a cold smile.
"Perhaps, but I''m not a guest; I''m an employee there," Qin Nuo replied calmly.
The Stitching Ghost''s eyes showed a strange expression, and it sneered, "The floor there is slippery, watch your step, especially when dealing with a bad-tempered customer like me."
"I don''t like eating half-rats, but I do enjoy tormenting them, especially tearing off the ghost on your arm."
With that, the Stitching Ghost walked into the fog ahead.
Qin Nuo squinted his eyes, "Can we take it down?"
"Get the ingredients, and I''ll help you vent your anger. I can''t stand that jerk either!" the Blood-Eyed Ghost said straightforwardly, having been provoked for too long.
"Hopefully, it won''t run too fast," Qin Nuo chuckled.
As the fog cleared, likeyers of thin veils being peeled away, a familiar outline appeared before him.
The restaurant''s construction was grand, both in size and style, unmatched by anything else. Qin Nuo''s Red Moon Convenience Store couldn''tpare at all.
Business was still booming, with a constant stream of customers. The second floor of the restaurant remained mysterious, and those who could go up were undoubtedly VIPs, enjoying higher privileges.
With more customers, conflicts naturally increased, some even affecting the restaurant. Yet, the Nether Springs Restaurant always managed to suppress them, proving its strength and deep resources.
"Back again, huh."
Qin Nuo hadn''t expected to return to his first instance.
"Having a position here,ing back doesn''t seem inappropriate."
Pushing open the door, the first-floor dining area was almost fully upied, making Qin Nuo feel a bit envious. When would his store have such business?
Since he was here, Qin Nuo thought he might as well experience being a customer.
Recalling his time as a server, targeted by customers and chefs alike, constantly under the threat of death, was indeed a bit embarrassing.
"Sir, are you dining with us? Please, this way."
The server, not caring about Qin Nuo''s identity, politely led him to a seat by the window.
After sitting down, the ghost server poured tea and water,pleting their duties before continuing, "Please wait a moment, the server will be with you shortly."
As soon as the server left, the server arrived.
It was a young man, looking timid as he ced the menu on the table, speaking stiffly, "Sir, your... menu, um, what would you like to order?"
Handing over the menu, Qin Nuo selected twomon dishes: Mapo Tofu and Salted Fish Eggnt.
The young man took the order, nodded, and turned to leave.
Qin Nuo suddenly called out to him, "Hold on."
The young man flinched, turning back with a frightened expression, "Wh... what is it?"
Qin Nuo smiled slightly, "If you were dealing with a more temperamental customer, you might be dead by now."
"After the customer selects their dishes, remember to ask if they want a dessert and add a polite phrase before leaving."
"Being so careless, you won''tst long."
Qin Nuo adopted an authoritative demeanor.
The young man realized his mistake, nodding quickly and sincerely thanking him, "Thank you, thank you for the reminder."
Leaning back in his chair, Qin Nuo asked with a faint smile, "Were you forced in, or did you enter through the login device?"
The young man was momentarily stunned, then asked in astonishment, "Are you also...?"
Qin Nuo smiled calmly, "My first instance was the Nether Springs Restaurant."
The young man''s initial demeanor and expression were exactly like Wang Yang and Liu Jiaqi''s back then. Qin Nuo immediately recognized him as a yer, currently engaged in an instance game.
Hearing that he was also a yer, the young man was both surprised and delighted, quickly responding, "We came in through the login device. Since we''re almost eighteen, we were sent in early. This is my first instance."
"Then try to survive," Qin Nuo didn''t say much more.
The young man looked at Qin Nuo, unable to resist asking, "Brother, how did youplete this instance back then?"
"We''ve only been here for two days, and nearly half of us have been eliminated. After using their immunity tokens, they left the instance."
"I feel like I won''tst much longer; it''s too difficult," the young man''s voice carried a sense of despair.
If they couldn''tplete it, the curse of being forcibly sent in would persist, bing an endless torment for them.
Seeing his state, Qin Nuo calmly said, "If you think like that, you probably won''tst until the end of the instance. I suggest you find a brick, use your immunity token, and exit."
"When ying this game, remember one thing: always maintain a calm mind."
"Building good rtionships is the first rule. When you have good rtions with the game''s NPCs, you''ll find that this game isn''t horrifying at all. Instead, it''s warm and healing, teaching you many things!"
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!