The empty room carried a damp, moldy smell. The walls, casually smeared over with cement, were full of messy colorful graffiti.
In one corner of the room, a pile of children’s toys like dolls and little wooden horses was stacked up, gathering dust.
The floor underfoot was sticky, and with just a couple of steps clear footprints could be seen.
Qi Yu stood together with a group of strangers in the middle of the room, looking around in confusion.
“Where the hell is this place?”
The short-haired girl on his right, thin and trembling, asked with sobs.
“You ask me, who am I supposed to ask?”
On his left, a yellow-haired punk youth squatted on the ground and spat angrily.
“Damn, wasn’t I just in a group fight? I just got stabbed once, didn’t even have time to stab back, and then I ended up here. The fight wasn’t even finished, when I go back the boss will definitely scold me, what bad luck!”
“Bad luck? You call this bad luck?”
The muscular man who had just stepped into the door happened to hear, gave a cold laugh, full of impatience, and walked up to them.
“Come, as usual let me give you an introduction.”
“Congratulations, you’re all dead. But before truly dying, you were chosen by the Horror Clearance Game. Now you are players of this game.”
As soon as his words fell, Qi Yu saw a floating light screen appear before his eyes. On it was very simple text introducing the origin of this game.
Horror Clearance Game: A 3D real clearance game of unknown origin. Each stage is a supernatural event. The game requires players to complete the mission within the set time. After finishing, points are obtained. These points cannot buy anything, but can be exchanged for life span.
Players who should have died survive by points extending their life. If they don’t finish the task and don’t get points or if the points are too few and not enough to buy enough life, then they will die.
Players who survive by relying on the game call themselves: “pitifully lucky ones.”
“My name is Pei Hu,” the muscular man slapped his chest, “this dungeon is my third one, and I should also be the only veteran in this team right now, temporary captain.”
Pie Hu looks at others and then continues, “Don’t think just because I have this captain title I’ll take care of you. The game doesn’t tie us together life and death. What I say, if you want to listen then listen, if you don’t then forget it. My only demand is that Don’t cause me trouble.”
“In this game, death is true death. Newcomer death rate is very high. If you want to live, shut up and don’t cry, follow the mission, then your chance to live will be higher.”
After saying this, he irritably scratched his head.
“Also, the game gives newcomers ten minutes buffer time. Later you will see the mission requirement. You randomly group up, walk around, see if you can find something. But don’t be too curious and mess around everywhere.”
Obviously, Pei Hu didn’t want to bring along this bunch of burdens. After saying this, he began to rummage room by room himself, and not long later disappeared from sight.
The rest of the people looked at each other, eyes dazed, clearly still not recovered from the shock of this big wave of information.
Qi Yu stiffened in place, his eyes wandering. He had been afraid of ghosts since young.
Actually Qi Yu didn’t even understand why he was so unlucky today. He was just an ordinary fourth-year student, school had just started not long ago, he was staying up late working on his thesis.
Finally he had gathered all the reference materials he needed. Looking at the warm sunlight outside, he, who hadn’t seen sunlight for a long time.
He was preparing to go out and find a small restaurant to have a good meal to reward himself.
Then, while waiting for the light at the crosswalk, he was hit by a car. The driver ran the red light and didn’t brake. Trash driver!
Until now he could still feel that pain of being hit and crushed by the car rushing at him. He had directly fainted from the pain.
Then, when he opened his eyes, he had become a player of this game.
Inside he felt extremely sad.
He hadn’t even eaten one last good meal. Truly a human tragedy.
Qi Yu wanted to ask Pei Hu, in this game, can you eat meals or not. He had already gone more than half a day without eating much.
If he kept starving, maybe he’d be the first player to die in the game from hunger.
Just as he took two steps, the disappeared light screen appeared again in front of him.
[Dungeon: The Last Child of the Orphanage.]
[Mission requirement: Find the last living child in the orphanage, send him to the nearby hospital.]
[Game time: total 48 hours. Overtime then mission fails.]
[Please note: cannot go against the child’s will and take him away by force.]
[Wish you a happy game.]
Seems the newcomer buffer time had ended.
Qi Yu carefully read through the words on the light screen. Aside from confirming this was an orphanage and that there was still one living child inside, there wasn’t any more useful information.
But this was enough for now. At least the main task was clear, and it didn’t look especially difficult.
Qi Yu glanced at the teammates digging hard in the toy pile. He didn’t hesitate at all, directly walking toward the direction Pei Hu had left.
There was a small staircase there, leading up to the orphanage’s second floor.
The old wooden floorboards creaked underfoot, sending out gray dust. The sound was a bit teeth-grinding, but the quality was decent.
He walked to the end of the stairs without stepping through.
Got it. Just the hands are a bit cold.
The two of them didn’t stay long, quickly thumping down the stairs.
==================
The ground floor was in chaos. The toys that had been left in the corner had been pulled out and thrown all around.
All the wooden cabinets had been overturned, their contents dumped on the ground. The entire first floor looked like it had been robbed, everything that could be rummaged had been rummaged.
Other rooms on the first floor were also opened.
Don’t know which newcomer had such excellent house-wrecking talent, but they even broke open the doors that, though not locked with iron padlocks, had been bolted shut.
Altogether there were three rooms.
A kitchen, a storage room, and a duty room.
The corridor that went straight from the stairs was narrow. The floor there was also covered with dust, but much better than downstairs, at least not sticky.
A line of footprints stretched straight down the corridor.
Maybe because Pei Hu showed such unkind attitude, aside from him no one dared follow up to the second floor.
This actually suited him.
Looking at the people downstairs rummaging almost inch by inch, he thought upstairs was quieter.
Following Pei Hu’s footprints forward, Qi Yu felt more and more this orphanage was strange.
On both sides of the second-floor corridor, the rooms were all locked with big iron padlocks. The windows also had those iron bar grilles, impossible to pry open.
Was this an orphanage or a prison?
The footprints stopped before one door.
Seems Pei Hu had tried to enter, but failed because of the iron lock. Qi Yu approached and lifted the lock.
Heavy and cold, just like the big locks his old home used to lock the back door. Unless you had the key, it was impossible to open by force.
“Click—”
What sound?
Qi Yu looked down, saw the iron lock in his hand had actually opened on its own.
Eh? Wasn’t it supposed to not open?
Staring at the dust-covered wooden door, Qi Yu fell into deep inner struggle. Since it was already open, should he go in, or not?
The door Pei Hu couldn’t open, opened by itself in his hand. Why did it feel so panicky?
Qi Yu set down the lock, preparing to go find Pei Hu to look at it together. Even if going in, it should be with Pei Hu leading.
With a veteran exploring, there was more safety. Although Pei Hu had said he didn’t like newcomers troubling him, something like sharing information, he shouldn’t reject.
Putting down the lock and stepping back two steps, just as Qi Yu was about to go, suddenly a sharp scream came from downstairs.
He instinctively turned and ran toward the staircase. But after just a couple of steps, he suddenly felt his body lifted, someone grabbed his waist and moved him to the side.
Because the movement wasn’t big, it looked like he had nimbly sidestepped, just avoiding being crashed into by Pei Hu, who came running up from behind too fast.
“Excuse me.”
Pei Hu said as he passed, his eyes flashing with surprise at Qi Yu. He hadn’t thought this boy who looked like a delicate pretty face would actually be so agile.
He had already prepared to bump into him and apologize, but this kid actually avoided on his own.
Looks like this batch of newcomers still had a few good seedlings.Qi Yu stood there innocently, rubbing his waist.
He hadn’t expected Pei Hu’s strength to be so great while running fast, he could still spare the effort to lift him up and move him aside, like pulling up a green onion.
When Qi Yu and Pei Hu came running down, they saw the short-haired girl collapse in front of the duty room, covering her face and screaming nonstop.
The yellow-haired youth and another muscular man each held wooden sticks from somewhere, staring vigilantly into that room.
Wide glass windows, a big wooden desk against the window, on the desk a thick stack of yellowed newspapers.
In the chair behind the desk, quietly sat an old man in dark blue clothes.
As the sound of running footsteps kept coming, the old man slowly, jerkily turned his head. His withered white hair, dusty and loose, scattered down.
On that withered, corpse-like face, a smile squeezed out.
His mouth opened and closed, a hoarse, unpleasant voice, as if not spoken for a very, very long time, squeezed out, floating quietly in the empty hall, making one’s back go cold.
“Guests… have come.”
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Please distract the translator from abandoning everything with coffee. (ง •̀_•́)ง
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
Next →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Enter the GameChapter 2 · Pick a roomChapter 3 · DeadChapter 4 · AtticChapter 5 · ResponsibleChapter 6 · A bamboo BasketChapter 7 · DiaryChapter 8 · Song QingChapter 9 · Sent to HospitalChapter 10 · Second CopyChapter 11 · Leaking InformationChapter 12 · Special Prop!Chapter 13 · Doctor GhostChapter 14 · Store RoomChapter 15 · Psychiatry HospitalChapter 16 · Things of PastChapter 17 · Second FloorChapter 18 · He’s adorableChapter 19 · You Like Him?Chapter 20 · Kiss meChapter 21 · Group women’s clothing PlayChapter 22 · Where’s my Skirt?Chapter 23 · Wife of Murder Doctor….Chapter 24 · Go to Third floorChapter 25 · You must find me!Chapter 26 · See you in the next dungeonChapter 27 · VideoChapter 28 · Player ForumChapter 29 · Two women vying for one manChapter 30 · The Giant WolfChapter 31 · A Kind and Benevolent FatherChapter 32 · Preparing the change clothesChapter 33 · Red Heart FruitChapter 34 · In what ways do I fall short of him?Chapter 35 · KissChapter 36 · Bald performanceChapter 37 · The Prince Has ArrivedChapter 38 · Prince Song QingChapter 39 · Should we…Chapter 40 · A Kiss of True LoveChapter 41 · BanquetChapter 42 · Snow White KingChapter 43 · KingChapter 44 · I miss you so much!Chapter 45 · LeavingChapter 46 · Wanting to See HimChapter 47 · Resource Type InstanceChapter 48 · The Banquet BeginsChapter 49 · KissChapter 50 · Full-Dive Virtual RealityChapter 51 · Everyone Is a LiarChapter 52 · MegaphoneChapter 53 · Dragon???Chapter 54 · Fire DragonChapter 55 · A powerful Fire DragonChapter 56 · Want Some Barbecue?Chapter 57 · The Characteristics of the GameChapter 58 · A little DragonChapter 59 · Searching for her sonChapter 60 · We’re Going to Tear Up the HostageChapter 61 · Mountain CollapseChapter 62 · DiscussionChapter 63 · Digging for Crystals?Chapter 64 · Making Money Selling LiquorChapter 65 · A KissChapter 66 · I’m the Best LookingChapter 67 · Ghost Ship 101Chapter 68 · Has the Competition Begun Yet?Chapter 69 · LotteryChapter 70 · First PlaceChapter 71 · The Sea Monster ArrivesChapter 72 · CooperationChapter 73 · The Man in the MaskChapter 74 · WarChapter 75 · The Players’ RevengeChapter 76 · ReturningChapter 77 · The End