Seeing the fire ignite, both Jiang Xiuxiu and Xu Bai's expressions changed slightly.
However, compared to Jiang Xiuxiu’s hidden delight, Xu Bai’s eyes darkened, giving off a chilling aura that made anyone feel as if they were plunged into an icy abyss with just one glance.
Jiang Xiuxiu's action of kicking over the candle wasn't discreet, and her intentions were quickly discovered by Xu Bai.
Just when Jiang Xiuxiu thought he would kill her, he withdrew his gaze and swiftly teleported to the evil god statue.
Only then did Jiang Xiuxiu notice that the basement floor was covered with talisman papers.
The candles had knocked over, and within moments, half the space was on fire.
If not extinguished soon, the wooden statue of the evil god would be destroyed by the flames.
Watching his back, Jiang Xiuxiu realized that she had made the right move.
From the moment the little girl’s spirit appeared and pointed her towards the statue, Jiang Xiuxiu knew that the evil god statue was incredibly important.
If it was in great danger, even if she was the cause, Xu Bai would prioritize saving the statue.
And this bit of time would be enough for her to make her next move.
While Xu Bai was busy putting out the fire, Jiang Xiuxiu quickly kicked over more candles in other areas.
Not only did she do that, but she also intentionally picked up two extinguished candles and some clean talisman papers, carefully hiding them in her sleeves after the flames went out.
While doing this, Jiang Xiuxiu didn't forget to keep an eye on Xu Bai.
She had previously seen Xu Bai control fire to burn people, knowing he had the ability to manipulate flames.
Now, she saw Xu Bai standing amidst the raging flames, seemingly separated from them, his clothes floating but not catching fire, exuding a calm and unperturbed demeanor.
However, Jiang Xiuxiu's situation was much worse than Xu Bai's.
She had no ability to avoid the fire, and as she kicked over the candles, the spreading flames were reducing her safe space.
Thick smoke filled the room, making the unventilated space increasingly suffocating.
In such an environment, Jiang Xiuxiu began to have trouble breathing and seeing.
Fortunately, Jiang Xiuxiu had anticipated this. Having survived a big fire before, she had thought through the consequences when deciding to kick the candles.
Her goal was always the evil god statue.
To achieve her goal, she couldn't just create minor trouble for Xu Bai.
Using fire was effective but dangerous, potentially harming herself as well.
Looking at Xu Bai's clothing, Jiang Xiuxiu had a thought and silently recited a spell in her mind, "Transformation Technique."
Soon, she found herself wearing a black robe identical to Xu Bai's.
The clothes Xu Bai wore were naturally different from ordinary clothes.
After changing into the same outfit, Jiang Xiuxiu was delighted to find that the clothes were fireproof.
The robe was impressive, but it couldn't stop the increasing smoke or prevent her exposed skin from getting burned.
Forced by the scorching flames, Jiang Xiuxiu had no choice but to move towards the evil god statue.
Clutching the two candles hidden in her sleeves, she took a deep breath and approached the relatively clearer area near the statue.
Within less than half a minute, she found herself standing in front of Xu Bai again.
Compared to the first time, she was now much more disheveled, coughing softly.
However, while she appeared forced to move by the situation, one hand behind her back lit a candle from the nearby flames unnoticed.
Using the special fireproof ability of Xu Bai's clothing, she held the lit candle inside her sleeve, hiding it.
Determined, she decided that once she got closer to the statue, she would throw the candle onto it.
A distant fire might be easier to handle, but this sudden close flame would be much harder to prevent.
As she moved closer, Xu Bai stood by the statue, watching her calmly.
However, when she reached his side, Xu Bai suddenly laughed.
In the next moment, he snapped his fingers nonchalantly.
With a crisp sound, all the flames in the basement extinguished instantly.
Jiang Xiuxiu: "..."
Wait, he can put out fires?
Then why didn’t he do it earlier? Was he waiting for her to fall into his trap?
Seeing this, Jiang Xiuxiu was greatly shocked.
The moment the flames went out, darkness enveloped the room, temporarily blinding Jiang Xiuxiu, who had been used to the bright light.
As her vision gradually recovered, she realized that the only light in the dim environment was the faint orange glow from the candle hidden in her sleeve.
Jiang Xiuxiu: "..."
She suddenly felt like a student caught playing with a phone during a night study session, only to have the power cut off, leaving her face the only one illuminated in the dark classroom.
And now, standing in front of her was "Teacher Xu," with a half-smile.
"What are you holding in your left hand?" Teacher Xu's voice was as gentle as a spring breeze. "Is it a candle?"
Jiang Xiuxiu: "Haha, yes."
Under Xu Bai's gaze, she forced a couple of dry laughs and reluctantly extended her left hand, showing him the candle.
But just as her arm was about to straighten, Jiang Xiuxiu's eyes narrowed, and she fiercely flung the candle towards the evil god statue beside her.
"Why bother with these futile efforts?"
Xu Bai seemed to have anticipated this move, chuckling as he waved his hand.
With his motion, the candle's flame was instantly extinguished.
Before it could cause any significant fire, the candle's faint flame was snuffed out midway by Xu Bai.
However, even Xu Bai didn't expect what happened next: the moment the first candle was extinguished, Jiang Xiuxiu threw another one.
It turned out that to be safe, Jiang Xiuxiu had prepared multiple candles.
She had several candles hidden in her sleeves.
When Xu Bai asked for the candle, Jiang Xiuxiu discreetly shook out another one from her sleeve.
Holding different candles in each hand, she used the left one to light the right one, hiding the second candle well.
When she threw the left candle, Xu Bai's focus would inevitably shift to extinguish it, leaving her back unnoticed.
Taking advantage of this distraction, she caught him off guard.
Facing the second candle, Xu Bai's expression changed visibly.
He reacted quickly, trying to extinguish the candle again.
This time, the candle landed on the evil god statue.
Several talisman papers caught fire, spreading up the statue and igniting the entire area.
Xu Bai's second attempt to control the flames was less effective.
While he managed to contain the fire, some talisman flames on the statue remained.
His energy was depleting.
Realizing this, Jiang Xiuxiu's eyes lit up.
Knowing that Xu Bai's power increased with the number of sacrifices, she had been planning to deplete his energy.
So far, only six players had been sacrificed.
Jiang Xiuxiu didn't believe Xu Bai could use his energy indefinitely.
After burning so many people earlier and extinguishing the fire just now, even Xu Bai must be feeling the strain.
And now, with his statue, a source of his power, under threat, his energy would deplete even more.
Seeing the burning talisman papers, Jiang Xiuxiu felt her strategy was working, confident that Xu Bai's strength would diminish.
On the other side, Xu Bai's patience seemed to have been worn out by Jiang Xiuxiu's repeated actions.
He didn't continue extinguishing the small flames. Instead, he turned around and looked at Jiang Xiuxiu with a heavy gaze.
Before Jiang Xiuxiu could react, he suddenly disappeared from her sight in a flash.
In the next moment, five cold fingers tightly gripped Jiang Xiuxiu's throat.
"I didn't originally intend to kill you, but why don't you listen?"
A soft question echoed behind Jiang Xiuxiu's ear.
Xu Bai was very close to her, and his warm breath brushed against her neck as he spoke.
Where Jiang Xiuxiu couldn't see, Xu Bai observed her body stiffen instantly. His black eyes were filled with an unreadable expression.
He genuinely seemed puzzled as to why Jiang Xiuxiu kept opposing him, his smile both confused and innocent.
But his words carried a chilling malice: "Since that's the case, why don't you just die here, okay?"
His voice grew softer, "After you turn into a ghost, you can stay here."
Jiang Xiuxiu, as a ghost? Not a chance.
Jiang Xiuxiu's neck was gripped so tightly by Xu Bai that she began to struggle to breathe, her limbs growing weak.
She looked fearlessly at Xu Bai, forcing a difficult smile.
"You don't think this is all I can do, do you?"
With that, Jiang Xiuxiu closed her eyes and shook out the last of the talismans and candles hidden in her sleeve.
She clutched them together and threw them towards the nearby sparks with all her might.
A desperate gamble, this was her final shot.
Due to her exhaustion, Jiang Xiuxiu didn't throw them very far. The bundle of papers scattered in midair.
But fortunately, Jiang Xiuxiu and Xu Bai were both very close to the evil deity statue.
Many of the talismans didn't land on the sparks, but a couple of them caught fire.
"You—"
Xu Bai's expression changed slightly, his body trembling involuntarily.
Jiang Xiuxiu could clearly feel his grip weakening.
Seizing the opportunity, Jiang Xiuxiu pushed Xu Bai away forcefully and crashed into the evil deity statue beside her.
Sparks flew as the statue wobbled and made a soft thudding sound.
Xu Bai, who had just flashed in front of Jiang Xiuxiu, reached out but hadn't managed to grab her. His brows furrowed suddenly.
His hand paused in midair for a moment.
Reacting quickly, Jiang Xiuxiu flipped over and kicked the evil deity statue again.
The statue, already weakened by the fire, wobbled again under Jiang Xiuxiu's assault, developing fine cracks.
The statue was going to break.
As the cracks appeared, Xu Bai's face turned increasingly pale.
Even in the dim light, Jiang Xiuxiu could see his pallid complexion and his gradually weakening body.
Taking a deep breath, she used the last of her strength to strike the evil deity statue once more.
With Jiang Xiuxiu's final blow, the statue couldn't hold up any longer and collapsed with a roar.
The thin wooden shell shattered, revealing a wooden puppet soaked in blood inside the statue.
The puppet was crudely made, with a simple smile painted on its face.
But it looked eerie, its face smeared with black and red blood, giving it a ghastly appearance.
Next to the puppet lay a black and white dress.
The dress was made of soft material, its lace edges looking dainty and cute.
It was neatly folded next to the puppet, and if not for the small white apron, Jiang Xiuxiu might not have noticed it.
Jiang Xiuxiu was speechless.
Her maid outfit had been hidden in such a place.
So, it was indeed Xu Bai who had hidden her clothes.
Thinking back to when she first received the maid outfit, she had assumed the boss of this world would be a girl.
But life was full of surprises.
With no time to think further, Jiang Xiuxiu resolutely reached out, grabbed the wooden puppet, and threw it into the fire.
As the puppet fell into the flames, Jiang Xiuxiu seemed to hear a faint, eerie scream from the puppet.
She knew she had succeeded.
After sealing Xu Bai once before, she had once again defeated him.
Soon, the scream faded away.
Xu Bai staggered and fell to the ground.
Without his source of power, he no longer had the strength to resist.
His eyes were half-closed, and even his breathing was faint.
Having done all this, Jiang Xiuxiu felt exhaustion washing over her.
After resting for a while, she wiped her face, picked up the maid outfit, and walked towards Xu Bai.
At this moment, Xu Bai was sitting on the ground, his head slightly bowed, his expression unusually calm.
Seeing Jiang Xiuxiu approach, he only lifted his gaze slightly, looking at her intently.
"You're good," he said softly, "This time, I lost."
His voice was calm, without a trace of resentment, clearly having accepted the outcome.
Jiang Xiuxiu shook her head at his words, "It's not about winning or losing. I just got lucky."
Though she often complained about Xu Bai in her heart, Jiang Xiuxiu had a pretty good impression of him.
She knew that Xu Bai was much stronger than she was, and many of her victories were due to luck.
Xu Bai was momentarily stunned by her words.
He looked at Jiang Xiuxiu thoughtfully, then smiled gently.
Under the dim orange glow of the remaining flames, his black hair lay flat against his face, making him look even paler.
His deep black eyes were haunting, and his slightly parted lips had a hint of color.
The handsome young man sat there weakly, looking both delectable and helpless.
Seeing this scene, Jiang Xiuxiu swallowed hard, inexplicably feeling like a villain about to spoil a beautiful flower.
But thinking of the prize money after finishing the game, she was filled with motivation.
Without further hesitation, she picked up the maid outfit and began to undress him.
And so, the scene faded to black.
This time, because she was putting on a dress, Jiang Xiuxiu had a bit more trouble.
Fortunately, Xu Bai, still in his youthful form, wasn't as bulky as a typical adult. With some effort, Jiang Xiuxiu managed to get him into the dress.
Throughout the entire process, Xu Bai kept his eyes lowered.
Jiang Xiuxiu didn't know what he was thinking, and she didn't dare to look at him.
After completing everything, Jiang Xiuxiu heard the familiar system notification sound.
"Beep. Congratulations, player 'Jiang Xiuxiu,' for successfully completing the mission to dress the boss in the designated outfit."
"As the first player to complete this dungeon, you will receive your prize from the game company within three days. Please verify your personal information."
"In 10 seconds, the player will leave the game world. Please prepare."
In ten seconds, she would be able to leave.
Jiang Xiuxiu looked at the chaotic basement, then at Xu Bai, who was sitting quietly after she had tormented him, feeling a bit sentimental.
For some reason, she suddenly felt disinterested when thinking about the pretty girls in dress-up games.
But when she imagined those girls as pretty boys, she felt an inexplicable thrill.
Perhaps this was part of growing up?
Feeling a mix of emotions, Jiang Xiuxiu didn't know what to do during the countdown.
Finally, her gaze fell on Xu Bai.
"Goodbye," she said instinctively.
After speaking, Jiang Xiuxiu was stunned, feeling a bit foolish.
What was the point of saying that to Xu Bai? Did he even understand?
Maybe Xu Bai felt too real to her sometimes, making it hard for her to see him as mere data.
Unlike other players, who could always clearly separate NPCs from real people.
But to Jiang Xiuxiu's surprise, Xu Bai looked at her and slowly smiled.
"Goodbye," he said softly, "See you in the next level."
See you in the next level?
What did he mean?
Jiang Xiuxiu stared blankly at Xu Bai, unable to comprehend his meaning in the short time available.
In the next moment, everything went dark, and she was ejected from the game.
"Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep!"
"The instrument is reacting again, the patient has been stimulated once more."
"How's the situation? Any improvement?"
"The stimulus source is still the same."
In a white hospital room, a group of doctors hurried by.
Several instruments emitted sharp warning sounds, disrupting the previously quiet research lab.
After a while, a young doctor walked quickly to an older doctor, handing over some documents.
"Doctor, should we inform the patient's family to adjust the system?" the young doctor asked softly.
Twice now, the same person had caused a reaction in the patient.
In this case, the likelihood of this person causing a third stimulus was very high.
Whether for safety or treatment purposes, they needed to keep this person involved.
"Yes, go ahead and inform the family."
The old doctor thought for a moment, then agreed.
The young doctor nodded and left the room.
Meanwhile, Jiang Xiuxiu, who had just emerged from the game pod, got up from her bed without resting much.
She immediately called the Fear Survival Game Company to lodge a complaint.
This game was too much; encountering the same boss twice was one thing, but letting the boss know so much information?
Before she could finish her complaint, she received a surprising piece of news from the customer service representative.
"What did you say
?" Jiang Xiuxiu asked, slightly stunned. "The game system is being updated?"
"Yes, ma'am," the customer service representative 009 replied gently, "Starting from this update, the Fear Survival Game will fully open game permissions. Any registered user can enter the game."