Chapter 128
Chapter 128
Xu You explained, “There is a fundamental difference between us and the natives of the Eerie World. Whether you believe in science or metaphysics, what I can tell you is this: after a person dies, they will definitely become a ghost.
“The Shu Yue we saw just now was a ghost. The Anomalous Artifact was only one of the ways to summon her.”
Although Wei Sen knew Xu You had some real skills, she remained neutral on the claim that people would definitely become ghosts after death.
“If we’re killed by Eerie Humans, then couldn’t we become ghosts after we die and get revenge?” Lin Xiaoxue’s eyes lit up.
If ghosts really existed, then maybe death was not such a terrifying thing after all.
And in that case, their deceased loved ones had merely continued existing in another form. They had never truly left.
“Oh, please.” Xu You leaned lazily back in her chair and said, “The concept of ghosts is very complicated. It’s no less complex than Eerie Shadows, Eerie Humans, or Chaos Bodies, so I won’t go into detail with you.
“To put it simply, the stronger a person’s obsessions and resentment were in life, the more powerful the ghost they become after death.
“After a person dies, they should go where they are meant to go. But if they are killed in the Eerie World and become a ghost, they may be trapped here forever, unable to leave.
“Don’t forget, this world also has ‘God’ and ‘the Sovereign.’ We have no idea what ghosts transformed from Order Keepers are in their eyes.
“Think of it the other way around. Why does the Sovereign hunt Order Keepers?
“Maybe it’s because Order Keepers can become ghosts after death. To them, perhaps ghosts are a delicious feast.
“Of course, that’s only an analogy.”
When Xu You finished, everyone fell silent.
Yes. None of them knew why the Sovereign hunted Order Keepers.
Perhaps for Order Keepers, the most painful part was not being hunted by Eerie Humans while they were alive. The true nightmare began after death, when they became ghosts inside the Eerie World.
“There’s no need to think about those questions for now. If we want answers, we first have to survive,” Wei Sen said.
Huang Xinze agreed. “Exactly! No matter what the essence of this world is, our goal is simply to meet God. All we have to do is make sure we don’t die before accumulating enough Merit Points to meet God.”
Wei Sen glanced at the time. 20:00. They did not have much time left.
Guo Lan suddenly thought of something, and her pupils contracted. “I understand now. Back then, the villagers stood by and watched them die, and the village chief imprisoned them, all because… Li Shuhan and Gao Lei had learned the secret of the Aurora.”
As soon as Guo Lan said this, the others felt as if they had been struck by sudden enlightenment.
“That’s right! The two of them were researchers left in the village by Ether Group to investigate the Aurora in the first place. The village chief did everything he could to stop them from leaving. That means not only did they know the secret of the Aurora, they might even have been able to make the Aurora disappear!
“Otherwise, the village chief would never have gone so far as to cause two deaths,” Huang Xinze said.
Lao Wang was deeply moved. “Because of the Aurora, the village became a popular tourist destination. The villagers went from a life where they never knew when their next full meal would be to a comfortable life where every household could buy cars and houses in the city.
“If the Aurora disappeared, Aurora Village would turn back into the old Ping’an Village. For people who had been terrified of poverty, that was simply unacceptable.”
Xu You shook her head and said, “A hall filled with gold and jade cannot be guarded forever; wealth may sway even spirits, yet in turn devour its master.”
Lin Xiaoxue cried out in surprise, “Then if we tell Li Shuhan the truth about what happened back then, will she tell us the secret of the Aurora?! That way, we can achieve Perfect Clearance!”
“Xiaoxue is right,” Wei Sen said solemnly. “But her goal is to hunt us down, so she may not believe anything we say. This has to be said by someone else.”
Guo Lan looked at her. “You mean… Meiya?”
Wei Sen smiled faintly. “Yes.”
Guo Lan was thoughtful. Having Meiya, someone directly involved, tell the story was indeed feasible. But if Meiya was truly willing to speak, she had been at the inn for twenty years. Why would she wait until now?
With that thought, Guo Lan looked again at Wei Sen, who seemed completely confident. “You had a plan all along?”
“Mm.” Wei Sen did not deny it.
Guo Lan’s expression turned complicated. At first, when she had heard Lin Xiaoxue say how smart this woman was, she had not taken it to heart at all.
Only after experiencing this Instance together did she understand that Lin Xiaoxue had not exaggerated in the slightest.
She could always think one step ahead of everyone else, and she shared every clue she found with her teammates without holding anything back.
This person… was worth befriending.
With that thought, Guo Lan sent Wei Sen a friend request on her Watch and continued, “For the plans that come next, it’s best if everyone discusses them privately. He Xu and Zhou Jie are still in the group chat, and… Xia Susu’s name hasn’t dimmed yet either.”
Wei Sen glanced at her Watch. Without saying anything, she silently accepted the friend request, then said to the others, “I’ll explain my plan. Whether it succeeds or fails all depends on tonight!”
…
As night deepened, in Room 310.
Wei Sen checked the time. 22:50. Ten minutes left. At 23:00, the plan would officially begin.
Tonight, every one of their rooms would keep the lights on.
The Skeleton Monster would follow the light and sneak into one of the rooms, and capturing the Skeleton Monster was the first step of the plan.
Once the Skeleton Monster was captured, every room had to turn off its lights immediately.
Because after 23:00, leaving the lights on violated the Guest Room Rules, and the Faceless Woman would enter hunting mode as well.
Although everyone had sprinkled salt and Wolf Bone Powder around their rooms, no one could guarantee how long the Wolf Bone Powder would remain effective.
Only by obeying the rules in time could they make the Faceless Woman stop hunting.
The biggest variable in the plan was that none of them knew how long it would take for the Skeleton Monster to appear. Until then, they had to do everything they could to hold off the Faceless Woman outside their doors.
And they also had to gamble.
Gamble that the Aurora would not appear tonight.
Otherwise, the Faceless Woman could ignore the rules and hunt them down. Even turning off the lights would be useless.
If the Aurora really appeared, blood would have to be spilled tonight.
Inside the room, Wei Sen looked at Lin Ze, who was standing on the balcony, and asked, “Are you really okay leaving your girlfriend alone in a room?”
“She’s not.” His voice was calm as he watched the forest. So far, he had not noticed anything unusual.
“Because she isn’t the real Cheng Wanning,” Wei Sen supplied, then analyzed, “So even if you leave her alone in the room, you’re not worried about her running into the Skeleton Monster. If anything… running into it would be perfect.”
Lin Ze silently acknowledged it.
She was not the real Ningning, but he still could not bring himself to kill her.
So if the Skeleton Monster really entered Cheng Wanning’s room tonight, for him, it truly would not be a bad thing.
Time ticked by. As 23:00 approached, Lin Ze returned to the room and drew the balcony curtains halfway shut, leaving a gap in the middle for the light to shine through.
The two of them had a clear division of labor. Lin Ze stood by the door with Wei Sen’s Ghost Axe in hand to guard against a sudden attack from the Faceless Woman.
Wei Sen stood by the balcony window with the Anomalous Artifact Spirit Pearl that Lin Ze had given her. If the Skeleton Monster came, she would immediately use the Spirit Pearl to trap it.
The cold wind howled through the forest. Inside the room, everyone waited in full battle readiness.
At exactly 23:00, Wei Sen’s Watch received private messages from everyone.
[Lin Xiaoxue: Sister Sen, Sister Lan and I are ready! ヾ(◍°∇°◍)ﾉﾞ]
Lin Xiaoxue had a Defense-Type Anomalous Artifact of her own, and with Guo Lan there too, their room would be fine.
[Xu You: Ready!]
Xu You did not have an Anomalous Artifact, but she was a Daoist with monstrous strength. If the Skeleton Monster ran into her, it probably would not be able to escape.
Chen Lin, meanwhile, had obtained an Anomalous Artifact after the Zhihui Primary School Instance that allowed her to ignore any danger for two hours, so there was no need to worry about them encountering the Faceless Woman either.
[Huang Xinze: No enemies spotted so far!]
Huang Xinze’s Anomalous Artifact ring still had two uses left, and Lao Wang had cleared quite a few Instances, so he should have Anomalous Artifacts on him to save his life. There was no need to worry about those two either.
As Wei Sen thought this, she silently looked toward Lin Ze.
Not only did she still have three Anomalous Artifacts, but she also had him in the room. Naturally, there should not be any major problems.
Tonight would definitely succeed!
Just as she was thinking that, her Watch vibrated again.
[Chen Lin: The Skeleton Monster climbed up from our balcony!]
Chen Lin and Xu You were staying in Room 210, and the room directly above them was Wei Sen’s Room 310!
Wei Sen held her breath and looked toward the gap in the curtains. From outside the balcony came the thudding sounds of the Skeleton Monster crawling.
At the same time, a wave of cold air swept in.
Outside the guest room door, the Faceless Woman’s eerie, hollow voice rang out as well. “Those who violate the rules… must all die tonight.”