Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Ruth covered her ears, tears streaming down her face.

“Shut up… just shut up!”

“When I died, my head was full of thoughts of you. How are you supposed to go on alone?” the thing outside the door said with feigned sincerity. “Without me, you won’t survive on your own.”

Ruth snapped her head up.

Her expression suddenly turned twisted and strange.

Tu Nan grew tense immediately, glancing at Fu Zhixing and giving him a meaningful look.

If Ruth insisted on opening the door, they would have to resort to extreme measures.

“I can do it, I can do it, I can!” Ruth suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs, breaking her usual character. “Stop gaslighting me!”

Jenny gave two thumbs up. “Resisting gaslighting is everyone’s responsibility.”

Ruth had an emotional breakdown. “You’re always like this, always saying I can’t do anything. But where exactly am I inferior to you? I can survive here just as well. I lived perfectly fine when you weren’t around!”

The “Jack” outside paused. Although he was no longer the original Jack in some sense, he still possessed Jack’s memories.

He flew into a rage. “I’m dead! Aren’t you even a little sad?”

“If I’m sad, does that mean I have to die with you?” Ruth had completely come to her senses. “The murderer who killed you is already dead. Go in peace. I’ll live on for the both of us.”

Seeing that she wasn’t taking the bait, “Jack” began to slam against the door with brute force.

“Open the door!” he shouted while pounding. “Open the door!”

The wooden door rattled under the heavy thuds. A chaotic symphony of banging intertwined as the door began to shudder.

There was definitely more than one Weird outside.

“This is bad.” Fu Zhixing decisively ran to the door to hold it shut. He could feel the door vibrating violently against his back, as if it might be smashed open at any moment.

“It wasn’t like this the previous nights,” Jenny said, her eyes wide.

Tu Nan also rushed to Fu Zhixing’s side to help brace the door. “Are they getting stronger?”

“Even if they can’t break the door down now, I’m afraid this door won’t be able to stop them by tomorrow or the day after.”

Tu Nan felt the fists of the Weird slamming into the door one after another. The wooden door clearly transmitted the vibrations to her spine. She closed her eyes.

What should they do?

The Weird outside wouldn’t get tired, but they would. If this became a war of attrition, it wouldn’t benefit them at all.

Suddenly, an idea struck her.

If the Weird outside were truly those killed by the Madam, as she suspected, then they might be afraid of one thing.

She pulled the stolen perfume from her bosom.

She had originally intended to feed it to the Fairy Tale Compendium, but she hadn’t had the chance yet. She crouched down and pressed the pump several times near the crack at the bottom of the door.

The fragrance belonging to the Madam quickly permeated the room.

“Cough, cough!”

Jenny coughed twice, choked by the heavy scent. “Isn’t this the smell from the Madam? Why are you spraying this perfume?”

Whether it was her imagination or not, the banging outside seemed to lessen significantly after she sprayed the perfume.

Tu Nan stood up and listened for a moment, then looked at Fu Zhixing. “The banging… has it gotten quieter?”

Fu Zhixing looked at her and gave a firm nod.

“They loathe this scent.” Tu Nan looked at the pink perfume in her hand. “It seems they really are the group of people killed by the Madam. Anyone who dies in this Manor has their soul trapped inside the body of a Sheep. Once they eat that special ‘Feed,’ they can never be free.”

However, not everyone had died at the Madam’s hands, so there were still some Weird who remained unaffected.

Though a few remained, the situation was at least much more manageable-enough for them to handle.
“Let’s take turns blocking the door,” Tu Nan suggested. “Let’s just get through tonight first.”

Ruth, who had been out of it all evening, nodded.

She had been terrified by Jack’s sudden departure, but after the ordeal they just went through, it was a blessing in disguise; her grief had largely dissipated, replaced by the immediate need for survival.

They took turns keeping watch, making sure to spray more perfume the moment the scent began to fade. Finally, they made it through the night without any further incidents.

Tu Nan felt like she was practically being pickled in the scent of perfume.

“I’m afraid this method won’t work again tonight,” Fu Zhixing said tiredly as he handed her the bottle. Half of the pink liquid remained, sloshing against the glass.

Tu Nan took the perfume, planning to find an opportunity to feed it to the Fairy Tale Compendium later today.

The group was utterly exhausted. They didn’t even plan to eat breakfast, choosing instead to seize the time to catch up on some sleep.

*Thump, thump, thump.*

After an unknown amount of time, the knocking started again.

Tu Nan’s eyes snapped open reflexively. Her nerves were taut as she quickly exchanged a look with Jenny.

Jenny glanced at the time. “It’s only a little past ten. It shouldn’t be a Weird.”

“My dear guests,” George’s caustic voice rang out from behind the door. “The Madam did not invite you here just to enjoy yourselves.”

Tu Nan had slept for less than five hours since the Weird left. Her temples throbbed, and her usually stable emotions were beginning to fray.

She really wanted to just stab the man outside to death.

The moment the thought popped into her head, she startled herself.

How could she have such a terrifying thought?

*Thump, thump, thump.*

George was knocking again.

“It is time for you to get up. Yesterday afternoon’s schedule was disrupted by an unexpected incident, so your task for this afternoon remains the same: you are to play games with Miss Lilith.”

“We’ll be downstairs shortly,” Tu Nan called out in response.

“Damned old man,” Jenny cursed George as she climbed out of bed. “He’s so bitter at his age. What’s wrong with sleeping a bit longer?”

“Jenny,” Tu Nan cautioned, “do you feel like you’ve become more irritable?”

“Have I?” Jenny paused, her expression turning grim. “We were in contact with the Weird for too long last night. I’ve probably been hit by Contamination.”

She rubbed her brow, looking weary. “This damn life… when will it ever end?”

“Does being in contact with a Weird for too long cause Contamination?” Tu Nan asked.

Jenny nodded. “The longer you stay in an Instance, the deeper the level of Contamination. According to the theories from the experts on the forums, two weeks is the limit for staying in an Instance. Any longer than that and you’ll lose your mind.”

Two weeks?

Tu Nan thought back to the job offer Tang Yuan had given her. The training period listed on it was one month.

What was that about?

“Let’s get downstairs,” Jenny urged. “If we’re late, who knows what that old geezer will start whining about.”

Tu Nan nodded, pushing the question to the back of her mind for now.

She would find an opportunity to ask Fu Zhixing about it later.

When they reached the ground floor, Lilith was sitting in the main hall playing with the Persian Cat in her arms. She held the Persian Cat above her head, laughing happily like a carefree little angel.

Jenny’s teeth itched with resentment the moment she saw the cat.

It was so well-behaved in Lilith’s arms, yet yesterday in the Maze, it had been a ghostly presence, darting around and causing them no end of trouble.

“You’re awake?” Lilith looked over when she heard them, speaking with a beaming smile. “Today, you can finally play with me.”

“What are we going to play?” Ruth asked softly.

The injury on her leg hadn’t healed yet, and she was worried.

Lilith smiled. “Naturally… an interesting game.”