My House of Horrors

Due to her field of study, the time Gao Ru Xue spent in the company of dead bodies was far greater than the time she spent around living human beings. She was not good at social events, but that did not bother her much because she felt more comfortable in the presence of dead bodies after all.

“Our Haunted House employs a special make-up technique, and that, combined with the unique environment of the Haunted House, creates nothing more than an illusion in your mind.” The Mortician’s Make-up as well as Black Friday were something that he could not attempt to explain even if he tried to. Therefore, he answered the question broadly and quickly moved the conservation away. “If there are no more questions, I’ll need to get back to work. Thank you for visiting us today.”

After saying goodbye to the two students, Chen Ge ordered Xu Wan to go clear up the props in the Minghun scenario while he returned to the main control room alone.

What really happened to He San was known to Chen Ge alone; the creature in the mirror hadn’t left and was still hiding inside the Haunted House.

Letting it stay will only create more problems for me in the future. This was his first time dealing with a Nightmare Mission, so he had not expected that it would have such complicated repercussions. After turning off the background music, Chen Ge pulled out the surveillance camera to focus on the few minutes after He San entered the West House. After flipping through the videos captured from multiple angles, he soon discovered something.

It was at 24 minutes and 11 seconds past 9 o’ clock that He San ran into the West House. He was running about like a headless chicken.

At 24 minutes and 14 seconds, when his eyes fell on the bronze mirror, a very curious image appeared on screen. The originally frantic He San became suspiciously calm after he saw the mirror. He stood before the mirror completely immobile. Chen Ge would have thought the video had stopped if not for the ticking time frame on screen.

At 24 minutes and 17 seconds, He San suddenly raised his left hand and started to walk slowly toward the mirror. It looked like someone or something was dragging him toward the mirror!

At 24 minutes and 20 seconds, Xu Wan, wearing a wedding dress, ran into the room from the open door. By then, He San’s upper body was almost touching the mirror, and there was a flash of something in the mirror that was captured by the camera. Right after that, He San fainted to the ground.

It was Xiao Wan’s arrival that interrupted the creature’s plan? Chen Ge played the video on loop. Plenty of stuff happened in those ten seconds. He rubbed his temples, but he could not come up with a good solution.

Until I can come up with a more permanent solution, it looks like the only thing I can do now is cover up all the mirrors in this Haunted House. Chen Ge wandered back to the Props Room to grab several black clothes before returning to the Minghun set.

“Boss, why are you here? Just leave the cleaning up to me.” Xu Wan saw Chen Ge while she was picking up the paper mannequins and paper money to put them back into coffin.

“I came to inform you of something. Temporarily, stop using all the props and scares related to mirrors in the Haunted House. Also, when you’re working, make sure to stay away from mirrors.” Chen Ge carried the black cloth as he helped Xu Wan close the fake coffin.

Xu Wan was baffled by Chen Ge’s orders, but she didn’t ask. After fixing all the props in the Main House, Chen Ge entered the West House alone.

The white lantern cast its weak light into the room. He stood at the spot where He San fainted and stared quietly at the bronze mirror.

“Someone lives inside the mirror? Could there really be another world inside the mirror?” Chen Ge touched the icy surface of the glass and stared at his own reflection for a long time. He could not pinpoint it, but he felt like something was off. When I handed He San the bottle of water earlier, he used his right hand to take it, which means that he’s not left-handed. However, in the video, he raised his left-hand. Why would he do something that is opposite of his usual habit? Was he taken control of by the thing in the mirror?

Chen Ge placed his left hand on the mirror, which aligned perfectly with his mirrored right hand. After all, everything is inverted inside the mirror.

After covering the mirror with a black cloth, Chen Ge pulled out the black phone. This is where it all started; the creature appeared because of this phone. Therefore, it makes sense that if I wish to vanquish it, I’ll need the help of this phone.

He opened the app with the Haunted House icon and soon noticed some changes to the interface. The Daily Visitor Number and Monthly Visitor Number had each increase by two.

Under the window for unlockable scenarios, a Trial Mission had just become available. After clicking on it, the message said that after finishing the mission, the scenario that it corresponded to would be unlocked.

The design of this game seems fair enough. Completing a mission will earn me a reward, and the level of the reward directly corresponds to the difficulty of the mission. If I wish to expand this place further and deal with the thing inside the mirror, I’ll need to continue finishing these missions.

He could only do one Daily Mission each day, so Chen Ge’s eyes naturally wandered toward the Trial Mission.

“Murder by Midnight—A dangerous psychotic patient wandered about a fallen apartment. Scissors and mallets as hands, he is just wandering outside of your room.

“Mission Venue: Western Countryside’s Ping An Apartments.

“Mission Requirement: Reach the Mission Venue before 23:00 today. Look for the party responsible for the murder and survive until dawn.

“Mission Hints: He hides among the crowd like a wolf among a group of sheep. His kind exterior hides a sickened heart.

“Do you wish to accept this mission? Warning: Trial Missions are only available for 24 hours. If they are not accepted within these 24 hours, the scenario will never be unlocked.”

Chen Ge still had some reservations initially, but he decided to accept it after reading the last sentence.

Let come what may. Things are finally looking up for the Haunted House; I can’t give up on any opportunity that will make it better.

After accepting the mission, he scrolled down. The Haunted Wheel of Misfortune had been activated without him knowing. Chen Ge clicked on it out of curiosity, and a line of words appeared on screen.

“The Decree of Life and Death is never the decision of man; fortune and misfortune are only one inch apart. We have both Spirit Fruits to increase your life span as well as hatred-filled Baleful Specters!

“Activating the Wheel after collecting the visitor’s scream for the first time. You’ve been given a free spin for the first activation. (A scream will be collected when it is over seventy decibels. After collecting one hundred screams, they can be traded for a chance to spin the Wheel of Misfortune.)”

One hundred screams for one spin? Chen Ge frowned reading this detail. This wheel is horrible on so many levels. The condition for activating it is already so difficult, but the result is still randomized‽ If the result is a baleful specter, then wouldn’t it have been a complete waste?

Chen Ge looked at the box that said he had one spin left, and he felt like pressing it. This feeling was similar to when one saw a message appear on one’s phone; it might just have been an advertisement, but one felt compelled to open it.

I mean, what can possibly go wrong? Chen Ge told himself, and as his finger tapped the screen lightly, the wheel started to turn.

As long as it’s not a Baleful Specter, I’m fine with anything!