Ruan Qing suddenly turned his head to look at the mirror, where the innocent-looking yet cruel-speaking 'Ruan Qing' stood. His beautiful eyes were filled with a mix of shock and disbelief.
Was he really the kind of person who would kill someone without a second thought?
If this had been in the past, Ruan Qing would have firmly believed he wasn’t that kind of person. But the memory of the five people he had directly blown up made him uncertain now.
The amnesiac version of him probably… wasn’t a good person, after all.
But had 'Ruan Qing' misunderstood something? Even if he had turned into a ghost, he was just a useless, powerless ghost. How could he possibly take down a high-level player?
Not to mention…
Ruan Qing pursed his lips and spoke in a hushed voice, "If one dies in this dungeon, they become a ghost."
And the first target a ghost would seek out would be the person who killed them.
Hearing this, 'Ruan Qing’s' delicate face scrunched up, as if he were struggling with something. Eventually, he turned his head away, looking somewhat aggrieved.
Seeing this, Ruan Qing let out a slight sigh of relief. It seemed 'Ruan Qing' had abandoned the idea of killing someone.
The strength of ghosts varied. If 'Ruan Qing' really killed someone, it would be a disaster.
Because the stronger the person, the more powerful they would become as a vengeful ghost after death—far beyond what a useless ghost like him could handle.
The rooms of ordinary residents were mainly for hiding from vengeful ghosts at night. Even if there were clues, they were mostly unrelated to the main plot of the dungeon, at best revealing information about nearby ghosts.
Lan Xu investigated the area but only found some clues about the ghosts in a few nearby rooms. He turned to look at 'Ruan Qing,' but the next second, his brows furrowed deeply.
That feeling of disgust had returned.
What was going on? Had the other done something to him? Was that why he had changed his mind about killing him?
Thinking about it carefully, it was indeed suspicious. When had he ever been soft on anyone, let alone protected them the entire way?
It was simply unbelievable.
Lan Xu’s frown deepened, but he couldn’t detect any signs of being manipulated. When had it happened?
…Could it be that the closer he was to him, the more easily he was influenced?
He had indeed been following closely behind him earlier, intending to kill him. But just now, while investigating for clues, he had kept some distance. Was that why the influence had weakened?
This person… really couldn’t be allowed to live.
Lan Xu suppressed the killing intent in his eyes and slowly walked toward 'Ruan Qing.' As he approached, he spoke casually, "There aren’t any useful clues here. Let’s move to another location."
Seeing that Lan Xu was about to leave, Ruan Qing, who was inside the mirror, immediately returned to 'Ruan Qing’s' body. "Alright," he replied.
Lan Xu’s heart skipped a beat when he heard the obedient response. The feeling of disgust vanished abruptly, replaced by an unfamiliar, almost exhilarating emotion.
Lan Xu clenched his fist tightly. So, it really was true—the closer he got, the more he was affected.
As Ruan Qing walked ahead, Lan Xu deliberately lagged behind, wanting to test whether his theory held. However, this time, there was no change. That uncontrollable, strange emotion persisted.
Was his guess wrong? Lan Xu stared at the slender, fragile figure in the distance, his eyes dark and unreadable.
***
The day passed quickly, and night soon fell.
This was the third night since entering the dungeon—the third night that no one had ever survived.
No survivors.
By the third night of this dungeon, no player had ever lived to see the dawn.
But among the remaining players, aside from Lan Xu, no one knew this. Not even Ruan Qing.
However, as one of the ghost NPCs, Ruan Qing was well aware that as time passed, the dungeon’s restraints on vengeful ghosts would weaken, and their power would grow stronger.
From this point on, danger lurked everywhere. Even the daytime was no longer safe.
Surviving seven days in this dungeon was nearly impossible. The only way to clear it was to uncover the true identity of "Him."
Ruan Qing watched as the last glimmer of light disappeared from the horizon. His long eyelashes fluttered uneasily. He glanced at Lan Xu, who wasn’t looking his way, then turned his gaze to the mirror nearby.
"Are you really not going to investigate the clues yourself?"
The reflection in the mirror showed Ruan Qing’s figure, but it wasn’t entirely him—the two blinked at different intervals.
The figure in the mirror shook his head without hesitation. "You take over at night. I’m a little scared."
Ruan Qing: "...Alright."
Ruan Qing took the small mirror that 'Ruan Qing' had found earlier and kept it with him, making it easier for 'Ruan Qing' to take over the body when needed, allowing him to return to the mirror.
Time slowly crept toward 11:30 PM, the hour when vengeful ghosts would soon emerge to hunt the residents.
At night, staying in a group made it easier to become a target for vengeful ghosts, and it could even attract multiple ghosts at once. As a result, all players had no choice but to venture out alone.
Ruan Qing also had to go alone, but he hadn’t expected Lan Xu to follow him at a distance.
Ruan Qing turned to look at the man trailing behind him and whispered a warning, "Staying together makes it easier to attract vengeful ghosts."
Lan Xu stopped in his tracks and looked at Ruan Qing, speaking calmly, "This is the third night of the dungeon."
Ruan Qing didn’t quite understand what Lan Xu meant and simply stared at him, confused.
Lan Xu’s gaze fell on Ruan Qing’s beautiful eyes. "No matter how well you hide, the vengeful ghosts will find you."
Hearing this, Ruan Qing pursed his lips, his slender, pale fingers tightening nervously. "So?"
Lan Xu lowered his eyes to the floor and said softly, "Do you want to come with me?"
Before Ruan Qing could answer, 'Ruan Qing' spoke up in his mind, his voice tinged with anxiety. "I don’t think it’s safe to go with him. Let’s go on our own."
Ruan Qing didn’t respond. Instead, he turned and walked away, using his actions to give Lan Xu his answer.
Ruan Qing’s thoughts aligned with 'Ruan Qing’s.' He wasn’t a fool. This man hadn’t given him the dagger out of kindness earlier—he had intended to harm him. For some reason, he had changed his mind.
Ruan Qing wasn’t one to assume the worst of others, but he also wasn’t quick to trust someone.
The man’s sudden change of heart could only mean one of two things: either Ruan Qing still had some use to him, or the man had taken an interest in him because of his unique constitution. Either way, going with him would only increase the danger.
Moreover, the likelihood of encountering vengeful ghosts was much higher when traveling in pairs. If they did run into danger, the man might not care about his survival—he might even push him to his death.
Lan Xu looked up at the figure walking away without a backward glance, his gaze deep and unfathomable. Ruan Qing, already far ahead, didn’t see it.
The neighborhood at night was no different from a living hell. Wandering around aimlessly was far from a wise decision. Ruan Qing first found a safe room to hide in.
He had already discovered last night that the rooms of living residents held no useful clues. That left only the rooms of the vengeful ghosts.
Clutching the dagger Lan Xu had given him, Ruan Qing steeled himself and left the room at exactly 12:30 AM.
The longer he delayed, the greater the danger became. He had to uncover the truth behind the kidnapping case.
Only by understanding why those five people had kidnapped Ren Qing to threaten Ren Yanqing could he find clues about 'it' and figure out who or what 'it' really was.
However, before Ruan Qing could reach the room he wanted to investigate, he spotted a distorted figure in the hallway.
The figure was terrifying, eerie, and utterly horrifying.
That… was not human!
Ruan Qing’s eyes widened, his pupils contracting as his face turned pale. Instinctively, he wanted to hide.
But it was already too late. The figure had spotted him.
The figure seemed to grow excited at the sight of a living person, its body trembling uncontrollably with anticipation. Then, countless strands of hair began to grow wildly, spreading rapidly across the hallway and walls, surging toward Ruan Qing.
Ruan Qing’s heart nearly stopped. Fear consumed his mind, and his body grew weak.
Just as he was about to use pain to snap himself out of his panic, he was suddenly pulled into a warm embrace.
It was Lan Xu.
When Ruan Qing realized it was Lan Xu who had grabbed him, his slender, pale fingers instinctively clenched the man’s clothes, gripping so tightly that his knuckles turned white, as if this was the only thing that could give him a sense of security.
Lan Xu had no time to comfort the person in his arms. He pulled Ruan Qing close, swiftly took the dagger from Ruan Qing’s hand, and, in one fluid motion, threw it toward the advancing hair. At the same time, he grabbed Ruan Qing’s hand and ran in the opposite direction without looking back.
The figure seemed wary of the dagger. When it saw the blade flying toward it, the hair immediately retracted.
The dagger missed its target and embedded itself into the wall.
As Lan Xu pulled Ruan Qing along, he reached out toward the dagger, and in the next moment, it inexplicably flew back into his hand.
Lan Xu was much faster than Ruan Qing. When he noticed Ruan Qing could barely keep up, he simply scooped him up and ran in the opposite direction of the ghostly figure.
The ghost, seeing its prey escape, could no longer afford to fear the dagger and quickly gave chase.
The ten buildings of Mingya Building were interconnected. From one building, you could directly access the other nine through the corridors.
In their frantic escape, Lan Xu and Ruan Qing didn’t notice that they had inadvertently entered the area of Building D.
The ghost had been relentless in its pursuit, but as soon as the two stepped into Building D’s territory, it hesitated and stopped, as if afraid of something. Eventually, it gave up the chase.
Only when Lan Xu saw that the ghost wasn’t following did he find a safe room to stop and set Ruan Qing down.
Ruan Qing, still weak and trembling, leaned against the wall to steady himself. His voice shook as he whispered, "...Thank you."
Overwhelmed by fear, his voice carried a hint of a sob, making him sound utterly pitiful.
Lan Xu had been keeping an eye on the movements outside the room, but when he heard Ruan Qing’s soft voice, he paused and instinctively turned around.
Only then did he notice how captivating the young man looked at this moment.
The corners of Ruan Qing’s eyes were tinged with red, his eyes glistening with a layer of moisture. His delicate face was pale, making him appear fragile and helpless, exuding a sense of broken beauty.
It also evoked a dark, inexplicable desire in Lan Xu—a desire to make the young man show even more beautiful expressions.
This was the first time Lan Xu had seen someone look so stunning on the verge of tears, so stunning that it was hard for him to control himself.
But now wasn’t the time. He had just realized that, in their escape, they had accidentally entered Building D. The ghostly figure had likely stopped pursuing them because of this.
There must be something terrifying here, something that made even the ghost wary.
They needed to leave this place as soon as possible.
Lan Xu cracked the door open slightly and hid behind it, cautiously peering outside. The hallway was empty, with no one in sight and no suspicious figures.
But that didn’t mean it was safe.
Lan Xu handed the dagger back to Ruan Qing and spoke in a low voice, "Stay here for now. I’ll go out and take a look."
Ruan Qing nodded silently, obediently staying in the room, while Lan Xu opened the door and left.
However, just a few minutes after Lan Xu left, sounds began to echo from outside. In the quiet of the night, they were especially loud and unsettling.
Ruan Qing nervously pursed his lips, wanting to confirm whether it was Lan Xu returning. He crept to the door and cautiously peered through the peephole.
A figure was slowly walking down the hallway in the distance, but it wasn’t Lan Xu.
…It was Xu He, one of the men he had blown up!
Ruan Qing’s eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat. Panic set in as he stumbled back several steps, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
He swallowed hard, trying to calm himself down. After glancing around the room, he finally hid under the bed in the bedroom.
The lights in the room were on, but they couldn’t illuminate the dark space beneath the bed. As long as no one crouched down to look, they would never notice someone hiding in the narrow space.
Ruan Qing curled up under the bed, clutching the dagger tightly, his nerves on edge as he listened intently to the sounds outside.
In the oppressive silence, even the slightest sound seemed amplified. From outside the room came a faint rustling, like the sound of fabric brushing against fabric—or perhaps footsteps.
It was the kind of sound that sent chills down your spine.
Because it definitely wasn’t the sound of a human.
Ruan Qing bit down hard on his lower lip, refusing to make even the slightest noise.
In his fear, he didn’t notice that a pair of feet had appeared on the other side of the bed behind him.
Someone was standing there.
Or perhaps… it wasn’t a person.
