Chapter 52: Shanchi Haunted House Chapter
Chapter 52: Shanchi Haunted House Chapter (End)
Leaving the mansion proved unexpectedly smooth. Once the ritual array lost its power, Usher House became an ordinary residence. On their return journey, the group noticed a striking change—the portraits on the walls had transformed into chaotic graffiti, resembling spilled paint. The hallucinations and spatial disorientation that had plagued them vanished entirely. The five quickly reached the living room near the main entrance on the first floor.
This time, Long Ao Min kicked the front door open with a single kick. A gust of cold wind rushed in, but even if the world outside was frozen, none of them wanted to linger indoors for another moment.
As the group stepped out through the main entrance, a system prompt echoed: [Current task completed. Main quest completed.]
Feng Bu Jue, still carrying Madeline Usher’s corpse, heard an additional message: [Hidden task completed.]
“Was it really just about getting her out of the house?” Feng muttered, setting Madeline’s body on the ground.
The corpse rapidly decayed before their eyes, soon reduced to a skeleton. Within seconds, the bones crumbled into sand, dissolving into dust. A faint, ethereal mist drifted toward the horizon, blending into the crimson sky.
[Scenario completed. 180 seconds until automatic teleportation.]
“Pleasant cooperation, everyone,” Bei Ling smiled brightly.
“Agreed. Pleasant cooperation,” Feng replied.
Long Ao Min stretched lazily, exhaling deeply. “Hmph. This scenario was suffocating—just a bunch of cheap scares. My fear rating must’ve tanked this time.”
“Long Ge, you still care about fear ratings? I’ve been trembling with terror in every scenario! I’ve only ever panicked once, you know!” Xiao Tan interjected.
“Farewell,” Si Yu said simply, patting Bei Ling’s shoulder before vanishing from sight.
Bei Ling waved at the trio. “Bye-bye,” she called, then turned to Xiao Tan with mock irritation. “Hey, thanks for the flashlight.”
Before Xiao Tan could respond, she dissolved into a beam of white light and teleported away.
Feng Bu Jue spoke up. “Let’s teleport out. We’ll settle rewards and queue for the next scenario.”
Long Ao Min shook his head. “Feng Bu Jue, I’m calling it quits tonight. My login time’s set for 11:40 PM. I’ve already played over ten hours before this scenario, and this one alone took three. If I keep going, I’ll wake up with a splitting headache tomorrow.”
“Fair enough,” Feng said. “You log off first, Long Ge. Wang Tan Zhi and I will keep going.”
After bidding Long Ao Min farewell, the remaining three left the scenario one by one.
A cold autumn breeze swept past the mansion on Shanchi Hill. The world remained stifling, shadowed, and silent.
The blood moon dipped lower in the sky. In the darkest hour before dawn, the gates of Usher House slammed shut once more, as if pulled by an invisible force.
———
Long Ao Min skimmed his reward summary before logging off. Rewards could be claimed anytime before the next scenario, so storing them in the login space posed no issue. His name grayed out on Feng’s friend list as the screen confirmed his disconnection.
Feng hadn’t even checked his rewards yet when two friend requests popped up. Opening them, he found the expected names: Siyu Ruoli and Beiling Xiaogu.
Meanwhile, Wang Tan Zhi’s excited voice blared through the party chat again. “Feng Bu Jue!”
“I know—they’ve added you,” Feng said flatly.
“How’d you guess?” Xiao Tan asked. “Oh, right… They probably added you too.”
“Your overreaction gave it away,” Feng replied. “What’s the big deal?”
“Don’t you get excited when a pretty girl adds you?” Wang countered, his tone defiant.
“You’re tall, rich, and handsome,” Feng retorted. “Why so shallow?”
“Feng Bu Jue, if you keep thinking like that, you’ll end up alone forever.”
“Whether I live long enough to worry about loneliness is debatable,” Feng said coolly. “Since I was ten, I’ve believed expecting the worst prepares you for anything. When my parents died… when I learned I had an incurable illness… I stayed calm. Why panic over this?”
Wang Tan Zhi’s lips twitched. “…Right. Fair enough.”
“Still,” Feng continued, accepting the friend requests, “that female warrior was impressive. Judging purely by combat ability, she’s stronger than Long Ao Min. Among the players we’ve met so far, she’s the most formidable.”
“Should we invite them for the next run?” Wang asked.
“Absolutely not,” Feng said. “We’ve only encountered a handful of players. Inviting them would limit our exposure to new ones.”
“Oh, right…” Wang muttered. “With four players, we’d only meet two strangers at most—maybe none at all.”
“In any case, I’ll check the rewards. I’ll call you when I’m done,” Feng said. “Rest for now.”
“Got it,” Wang replied. “I’ll review my rewards too.”
———
In Siyu Ruoli’s login space, a voice chat buzzed with conversation.
Bei Ling’s voice carried a teasing edge. “They’ve accepted our requests. That Long Ao Min logged off right after.”
“Same here,” Si Yu replied.
“C’mon, you already figured it out, didn’t you?” Bei Ling pressed.
“You mean Mad Bu Jue?”
“Exactly! He’s a novelist, and his name includes ‘Bu Jue.’ He even said he’s not famous—doesn’t that fit Bu Jue?”
“Possibly,” Si Yu said. “But in-game names aren’t proof. Though calling himself a ‘literary giant’ does sound like his style. When I asked if he was a novelist, his naive friend answered first… Still, we can’t be certain.”
“Hehe… What if it is him?” Bei Ling grinned.
“So what if it is?” Si Yu replied, her voice calm. “I just enjoy his novels. I don’t even know him. How could he be an ‘idol’?” She paused. “If he is him… I’d rather not get to know him.”
Bei Ling leaned back in her chair, smirking. “So… admiration is the farthest thing from understanding?”
“You think quoting Aizen will fool me?” Si Yu shot back, her tone icy.
“Hmph. He’s your idol, not mine. Maybe he’ll avoid you for changing your face,” Bei Ling teased, sticking her tongue out at the screen, though her companion couldn’t see it.
“I just wanted to stay low,” Si Yu sighed. “But this scenario’s over. Now that my strength’s exposed, more people will add me. Pity—I can’t change my appearance again. I should’ve made myself hideous to avoid this.”
———
In the Order Studio’s break room, Yongzhe Wudi slumped on a couch, nursing a cup of coffee. His sleep-mode shift had ended, and he’d log into non-sleep mode in an hour.
“Rough scenario?” A wiry teenager in his late teens, Tian Tian Gui Xiao, plopped onto the couch beside him. Like all studio members, he used his in-game name—his ID as permanent as an employee ID in the real world. As one of the elite studios, Order’s members claimed their Ids at launch, often with corporate backing to secure them.
“Dying wasn’t the issue—I messed up myself,” Yongzhe grumbled. “I queued another scenario right after, but when I finished, I checked my failed one… It was cleared by three newbies and two girls. I barely got any XP. My contribution was practically zero.”
“Huh,” Tian Tian Gui Xiao mused. “Could that ‘Mad Bu Jue’ 11-year-old be faking it? Pretending to be useless so you’d split up?”
“That’s what I’m thinking,” Yongzhe growled. “You’re on their side now?”
“Nah, just saying,” Ghost Xiao chuckled, standing. “Time for bed.”
“Your shift’s over?”
“Nah, the leader gave me a day off during closed beta,” he said, grinning. “I’m level 55 now.”
“What? A day off now?” Yongzhe’s eyes widened. “You’re level 55?!”
“Yup,” Ghost Xiao shrugged. “I killed Fearless Ge and his two lackeys in the Killing Game mode. They complained to the leader about me holding them back. Adults these days… can’t handle losing.”
(End of Chapter)
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