My House of Horrors

After the dawn came, the chat box came up with three more options—’With your impressive luck, you managed to survive the first night. You were gripped by uncertainty and fear. You started to hesitate, not knowing whether to stay and look after your mother or return through the dungeon and leave this place.’

1. You feel at home in this place. You like the atmosphere of this small town and decide to stay to experience it for one more night.

2. You miss your mother a lot, but you feel like you’re already at your limit. You decide to leave.

3. You are conflicted and in so much pain. Everything here is different from the real world, but you decide to stay until you find your mother.

The cursor moved between the three choices. As a player who wanted to know more about the world, he was leaning toward the first choice, but if he was choosing for the sake of Xiao Bu, he had to choose the second choice. Xiao Bu would grow up safely after leaving this scary world.

After a long silence, Chen Ge moved the cursor to the third choice. “The first choice is the most stable, the second is best for Xiao Bu, and the third is probably what Xiao Bu would have chosen.”

Not leaving until Xiao Bu’s mother was found… if Xiao Bu’s mother was harmed, then Xiao Bu would never find the person she was looking for, and she would be trapped there forever. Chen Ge clicked on the mouse, choosing the third one. “If we need to seek salvation for Xiao Bu, we mustn’t lie to ourselves even in-game.”

After confirming his choice, there was a new save point in game. The original save point was Xiao Bu’s home in real life, and this new one was Xiao Bu’s home in the other world. “With this new save point, I can get Fan Chong to explore the other side quests without worry.”

Chen Ge controlled Xiao Bu to get to the rooftop. The sky was low and gray like a fog covering the whole town.

“I wonder how many stories this place is hiding. Solving it in one night is impossible.” Chen Ge was clear that the method that he had used that night would not be repeated every time. “I’m curious… if everything did happen in real life, how did Xiao Bu survive until the end?”

“Boss Chen, I don’t think you should think too much of it. Just play it your way.” Fan Chong looked at Xiao Bu, who glanced at the town holding the knife, and realized that the game had truly changed.

“The new save file has appeared. The tempo of the game will probably slow down. I don’t think I’ll be able to clear the game tonight; I’ll leave that in your capable hands.” Chen Ge narrowed his eyes like he was coming up with a plan.

“Leave it to me?” Fan Chong rubbed his hands. After seeing Chen Ge play the game, he was too embarrassed to take up his mantle.

“It’s alright, just relax. But you have to remember one thing. Record every death and case that you come across, and try to explore every inch of this map within these few days.”

“Every inch of the place?” Fan Chong’s lips moved, and he added softly, “Then that means I’ll die so many times… Isn’t that a bit too cruel?”

“Try your best.” Chen Ge worked his fingers, and his eyes glowed. He was no longer satisfied with exploring the town in a game; he prepared to bring all his employees and find this town in real life. The game was reflecting real life, and with the knowledge of the potential danger, Chen Ge decided to strike first and conquer this small town with his power.

“It’s dangerous to go out at night, so you have Xiao Bu stay at home when night falls. Keep the exploration mainly to the day.” Chen Ge controlled Xiao Bu to leave the residential area. The town looked peaceful under the sun. The blood on the ground had been cleaned, and the signs of the terror from the night before had been swept away.

Xiao Bu found the key to the dungeon inside her mother’s pajamas. After entering the dungeon, she came into a town that was completely different from the real world. The strange thing was, whenever Xiao Bu died in the town, the game would load at Xiao Bu’s room in real life, and she would be lying in her bed like everything was just a dream.

Chen Ge thought about it for a long time and came up with a possibility.

The game world mirrors Li Wan City. Before Doctor Gao’s death, he said that the door that had gotten out of control is at Li Wan City. Combining the content of the game, could it be taken that Xiao Bu opened the door at her friend’s dungeon? She entered the world behind the door, so is she the door-pusher‽

Controlling Xiao Bu to wander aimlessly down the street, Chen Ge’s mind turned. If Xiao Bu is the door-pusher, what has she seen at her friend’s dungeon? What allowed her to push the door? Why was she wearing her mother’s pajamas?

Chen Ge wanted to summon Men Nan and ask him. After all, Men Nan was almost the same age as Xiao Bu, and they were both door-pushers, so there might be connection between them.

Xiao Bu must have some secrets as well if she was able to survive in such a dangerous environment. That secret could be that she is the door-pusher.

Looked at the innocent, cute girl who was holding a sharp knife in the game, a feeling formed in his heart—it felt like pity and care.

“Perhaps I understand the message of the game after all. It should be trying to tell the gamers that Xiao Bu is actually the most innocent victim.” Chen Ge suddenly commented, and it frightened Fan Dade and Fan Chong. They could not catch up to Chen Ge’s thought but were too embarrassed to say that, so no matter what Chen Ge said, they would concur.

Making use of the daylight, Chen Ge controlled Xiao Bu to walk around the city. He ran into many murder cases and saw many crazed murderers and ghosts, but beyond that, there was no other discovery.

The day in the game passed by quickly. Before the day ended, Chen Ge controlled Xiao Bu to return home. The sky darkened, and the second night arrived.

The street outside rang with a curious laugh and approaching footsteps. Chen Ge controlled Xiao Bu to close the door and sat beside her step-father’s body while holding the knife. “The Red Specter at the hotel shouldn’t come after me, but we have to be careful. After she consumed the ghost next door, she will need time to digest it. When she’s hungry again, she will slaughter and consume as she mows down the road. After all, her feeders have been killed.”

“Then, won’t it be dangerous in a few days?” Fan Chong was worried. Chen Ge decided to leave the responsibility to him, and he did not want to disappoint Chen Ge’s trust.

“You’ll be fine. The ghost at the hotel will need at least a week to digest the Red Specter. By then, you should have been able to fully explore the map.” Chen Ge stood up. He glanced at the time; it was 2:30 am.