Located in a remote suburb of City B, an ancient house had been abandoned for nearly a century due to certain reasons.
Three years ago, a couple bought the house and moved in with their two children.
Subsequently, the family of four committed suicide by setting the house on fire, turning the ancient residence into a place shunned by people due to its sinister reputation.
Your identities are those of college students embarking on an adventure in the ancient house.
As the cold voice of the system narrated, Jiang Xiuxiu endured the slight dizziness that accompanied entering the game and slowly opened her eyes.
What she saw was a vast, endless expanse of white fog.
She knew she had entered the game.
Jiang Xiuxiu first looked at herself and found she was wearing simple, light student clothing and carrying a backpack, which matched the identity of a college student quite well.
She then looked at the others: eleven men, four women, and herself, making a total of sixteen people.
Wait, sixteen people?
In the last game, if she remembered correctly, there were only fifteen people.
Could it be that the number of players in each game isn't fixed?
Jiang Xiuxiu was a bit puzzled, but she thought about it and realized there was no rule stating the number of players had to be the same in each game.
With that thought, she stopped worrying about it.
Before the game starts, players are given ten minutes to interact and form teams. Jiang Xiuxiu already knew this.
For safety reasons and to avoid being identified as the "lucky one" who cleared the first game, Jiang Xiuxiu put on a look of shock and curiosity, constantly looking around as if it were her first time in the game.
At the same time, she used this opportunity to observe the other players.
Compared to the first game, they were completely clueless about this new level. Jiang Xiuxiu thought that rather than going in alone, selectively teaming up might be a better option.
The players this time were all in their twenties or thirties.
Many of them showed signs of being newcomers to escape games.
For example, some stood blankly in place, not actively engaging or forming teams with others.
Among these people, a male player in his early twenties stood out more prominently.
He seemed as if he had never played any escape games before, showing great interest even in the surrounding white fog.
A pure novice.
Jiang Xiuxiu defined him as such in her mind.
Jiang Xiuxiu had no particular thoughts about such novices. She wasn't particularly patient, especially with someone who had little experience with escape games, teaching them would be too troublesome.
She wanted a teammate for mutual assistance, not to play the role of a mentor.
With this in mind, she turned her attention to the remaining players.
However, when she tried to team up with the female players, they had already paired up in twos.
Seeing Jiang Xiuxiu, they politely declined to include her.
When Jiang Xiuxiu turned to the male players, they rejected her for being too short and frail, doubting her physical abilities.
The only male player who wanted to team up seemed too suspicious, and Jiang Xiuxiu, not wanting to become cannon fodder, wisely declined.
When Jiang Xiuxiu finally gave up and decided to play alone, a voice called out behind her.
"If no one wants to team up with you, how about we team up?"
Jiang Xiuxiu turned around and found it was the novice.
Seeing Jiang Xiuxiu turn back, he smiled and said, "Two people can look out for each other."
Jiang Xiuxiu glanced at him and suddenly noticed that, aside from being a novice, he had quite a good-looking face.
A clean and fresh face, giving off a very pleasant and friendly vibe, especially when he smiled.
At this moment, he was wearing such an approachable smile, looking at Jiang Xiuxiu with great expectation.
Jiang Xiuxiu: "..."
Jiang Xiuxiu: "Sorry, can I refuse?"
The boy's smile froze.
Jiang Xiuxiu gave him an apologetic smile and quietly turned around to leave.
Of course, she was tempted by the handsome guy.
However, she quickly realized they were playing a game, and not just any game, but a high-difficulty escape game.
In such a game, teaming up with a pure novice would result in a poor gaming experience.
Choosing between a handsome guy and game experience, Jiang Xiuxiu almost instinctively chose the experience.
This might be why she had been single for two years in a so-called "monk's temple" university.
Jiang Xiuxiu's attitude was quite cold, but surprisingly, the boy didn't get angry at her refusal.
He didn't try to join another team either, but like Jiang Xiuxiu, stood alone, seemingly deciding to act solo.
Jiang Xiuxiu didn't pay much attention to him, focusing more on the game itself.
Soon, the players had formed their teams.
The free discussion time given by the game quickly ended.
Next, the game started.
Players, please quickly enter the level to begin the game.
As the system prompted, the surrounding white fog rapidly dissipated.
A secluded forest path appeared in front of the players, leading to a large ancient house at the end.
From the outside, the house looked quite dilapidated. Due to its mix of traditional and somewhat modern Western decor, it had a semi-ancient, semi-modern feel reminiscent of the Republic of China era.
The corners of the house's outer walls were covered with cobwebs, and the surrounding trees were overgrown, contributing to an eerie atmosphere under the gloomy sky.
This was the location for their game.
The players' identities were those of college students entering the ancient house for an adventure.
Seeing the "ancient house" mentioned by the system, the players started moving towards it.
Jiang Xiuxiu kept her head down, unobtrusively following towards the back of the group.
As she approached the house's entrance, a prompt box appeared in front of her:
Player Jiang Xiuxiu is an experienced player; special abilities and clearance tasks have already been matched and completed.
**Special Ability: Costume Change**
**Clearance Task: Dress the boss in the specified outfit.**
Would you like to accept the related task items?
Jiang Xiuxiu silently recited "accept" in her mind when she saw the prompt.
As the notification sound ended, she felt something suddenly appear in her hand.
But, why did it feel so heavy and not fluffy, unlike the previous cat lingerie set?
Sensing something was off, Jiang Xiuxiu squinted her eyes.
She quickly lowered her head, taking advantage of the moment when others were focused on their own special abilities, and secretly glanced at the clothes in her hand.
One look, and Jiang Xiuxiu immediately understood.
It was indeed different.
The outfit for this round of the game was new.
Compared to the previous game's provocative lingerie, this time the clothes were normal.
A black skirt with white lace trim, a design resembling a small apron, and a large white bow at the back.
Wait, this was a maid outfit!
And it was a skirt!
Jiang Xiuxiu was incredibly shocked, even starting to suspect there was a glitch in the system.
The previous cat lingerie, though provocative, had so little fabric that it could barely pass as unisex.
But this outfit was blatantly a woman's dress.
Then again, Jiang Xiuxiu thought, there wasn't any rule saying the bosses in each instance had to be the same.
Maybe, this game's boss was a female.
With that thought, Jiang Xiuxiu calmed down.
She quickly stuffed the outfit into her backpack.
Her movements were quick and discreet, hardly attracting any attention.
The newbie player, however, seemed to notice something and glanced over at Jiang Xiuxiu, but she blocked his view carefully.
In the remaining time, the other players, after receiving their special abilities, gradually came back to their senses.
Without speaking, they pulled their teammates along and continued towards their destination.
Eventually, they all gathered at the gate of the mansion's front yard, looking at the half-open, half-closed wooden door.
One person stepped forward and carefully pushed it open.
"Creaaaak."
With a sharp sound, the wooden door opened, and the gate to the yard was now open.
The players didn't hesitate and walked straight in.
Once the last person stepped into the instance, the system's prompt finally sounded:
Beep. All players are now in position. The second escape game instance, Haunted Forest Mansion, is officially starting.
All players, please remember to carefully play your assigned roles during the game.
Do not let the NPCs realize your true origins, and do not let them know their own identities.
Any accidents, and you will bear the consequences.
Game story initialization in five, four, three, two, one.
As the countdown ended, the front gate of the mansion's yard slammed shut.
Separated by a courtyard wall, the outside world was instantly covered in thick, white fog.
The game had begun.
Faced with this scene, the players only paused for a moment.
Soon, they continued to move forward.
The yard outside the mansion wasn't large; it was more like a small garden, with weeds almost reaching their knees and many growing right on the stone path.
Jiang Xiuxiu struggled to walk through the grass. Being short herself, navigating such an environment was particularly difficult.
Halfway through, she stumbled over something.
Her body swayed, almost losing her balance.
As she hurriedly searched for balance and glanced down, her gaze accidentally fell on the courtyard wall.
She froze.
On the yellowing wall, partially obscured by the bushes, she saw it was covered with dense red and black writing.
The thick foliage had hidden the wall, making the writing less noticeable at first glance.
The words seemed to be written with blood-dipped fingers, the handwriting chaotic.
Some places even had finger marks left behind.
Squinting, Jiang Xiuxiu saw that the wall repeated the same phrase over and over, making it look quite eerie.
She took a couple of steps closer, pushed some bushes aside, and carefully read the nearest words on the wall.
"Do not listen, do not respond, do not turn back."
"Do not listen, do not respond, do not turn back."
Jiang Xiuxiu silently repeated the phrase, feeling puzzled.
She glanced at the other players and noticed a few had also seen the writing.
But most of the players had already reached the mansion and opened the door.
Seeing this, she hurried back.
She just needed to remember that phrase; it was still early in the game, and she didn't want to fall behind the group.
"Hurry up," one player said impatiently, frowning at those lagging behind. "Stop dragging your feet."
Jiang Xiuxiu quickened her pace, catching up with the main group.
Once everyone was assembled, the leading players didn't hesitate any longer.
Someone reached out and tried the door.
The next second, the mansion's door swung open abruptly with a strange gust of wind.
It opened suddenly and quietly, pulling wide in an instant and revealing the pitch-black interior, then gently stopping as it hit the wall.
It was as if an invisible person had opened the door for them.
This made the players exchange wary glances, their faces showing signs of caution.
According to the system's introduction, the mansion was supposed to be empty.
This meant there shouldn't be any NPCs or other people here.
So, would it be safe to just walk in like this?
Thud, thud, thud.
Just then, from somewhere inside the house, a strange knocking sound echoed.
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
Thud, thud, bang.
The sound grew closer.
The players turned pale, some even taking a step back.
Jiang Xiuxiu also pretended to be scared, staying silent at the back.
Out of sight from the others, she closed her eyes and listened carefully.
The faint sound resembled that of a basketball bouncing on the ground.
There was a basketball court near Jiang Xiuxiu's home where many middle and high school students played. She would not mistake this sound.
So, was someone playing ball inside the mansion?
She opened her eyes and glanced toward the source of the sound but saw nothing.
"Hee hee."
"Hahaha."
Then, faint children's laughter echoed from within the mansion.
The laughter was light and fleeting, accompanying the bouncing ball sound, echoing inside the house.
And it was getting closer.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud.
"Hee hee."
"Ha."
With these sounds, Jiang Xiuxiu could almost imagine the scene: two children in the empty mansion, playing with a ball, laughing and running around.
Thud, bang.
The invisible "ball" landed right in front of them.