Chapter 13

Han Fei's brain reacted in a fraction of a second; he had no extra time to think, and his body moved on its own.

Both sides were racing against time. Han Fei first arrived at the fourth floor, where he began searching for the security door key among the large bunch of keys.

The footsteps behind him grew closer, and what made him even more uneasy was the strong smell of blood, in addition to the footsteps!

Indeed, that thick, pungent odor almost made him suffocate.

"Faster! Even faster!"

The strict control and training of his muscles and body as an actor greatly helped Han Fei. Although he was extremely anxious, his hands did not tremble.

The moment he found the key, he inserted it into the lock in one go.

With the sound of the spring mechanism, Han Fei forcefully pulled open the security door and rushed inside.

He slammed the door shut and covered his mouth.

Through the door, he could clearly hear the beast-like breathing from outside.

"What the hell is that thing?"

Struggling to stand straight, Han Fei peered through the peephole, but the empty hallway showed nothing.

"The breathing has stopped, but the smell of blood is still here!"

Han Fei couldn't open the door at this moment. He kept adjusting the angle and finally saw a small part of a face hidden below the security door.

The person from the sixth floor hadn't left! He was hiding in the blind spot of the peephole, right outside Han Fei's door!

If the old lady on the third floor gave Han Fei a feeling of kindness with a hint of eeriness, the person on the sixth floor gave him a sense of madness, blood, and cunning.

"My neighbors have serious issues!"

Han Fei took a step back and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "With this guy guarding the door, I can't get out. To exit the game, I need to complete a task. Do I have to do a beginner's task in this room?"

To be honest, the seemingly simplest beginner's task had already left a psychological shadow on Han Fei.

"Let's just wait for three hours." Han Fei didn't know how to evaluate his current situation. A blood-soaked killer was blocking his door, and the haunted house he lived in was haunted at night. The phrase "between a rock and a hard place" couldn't describe his misery.

"After playing for so long, I'm still level one. Maybe things will improve once I level up."

The game was mandatory, and Han Fei could only comfort himself this way.

Staring at the clock on the wall, Han Fei didn't dare to move further into the room. He turned on all the lights and stood next to the security door.

The smell of blood in the hallway grew stronger, and occasionally, strange sounds could be heard. The neighbor on the sixth floor was very patient, but his way of "greeting" was too much for Han Fei to bear.

"When I completed the fuse replacement task, the system hinted that a harmonious relationship with neighbors is the first step to a perfect life. This means the game wants me to get along well with my neighbors."

"To survive, I need to gain the friendship and help of my neighbors." Smelling the pungent blood in the air, Han Fei had a bitter expression: "This is really a healing game. I'm introverted and have social anxiety, and it gives me a treatment plan where I will die if I don't make friends."

Time slowly passed, and it was already three o'clock in the morning.

The three-hour time limit had passed, and now Han Fei just needed to complete one more task to leave the game.

The "welcoming" neighbor outside hadn't left, so Han Fei couldn't go out. After much thought, he decided to try the beginner's task.

"If that ghost chases me again, I'll open the security door. If the neighbor on the sixth floor is accidentally killed by the ghost, I'll take his key, live in his place, and continue his life. I can't let him die in vain."

That was the ideal scenario, but in reality, Han Fei would likely be killed by the neighbor as soon as he opened the door.

Opening the task panel, Han Fei hesitated for a long time before finally choosing Beginner Task Two—Watch TV.

When he did the sleeping task, he already discovered a ghost in the bathroom. Choosing the bathing task now would be like seeking intimate contact with the ghost.

"Player 0000 accepts G-level beginner task—Watch TV!"

"Task Description: Since moving here, you can't remember how many times you've had insomnia. Unable to sleep, you decide to watch some TV."

"Task Requirements: Please turn off all the lights in the room, turn on the TV, and watch any channel for thirty minutes. Do not look away from the TV screen for thirty minutes."

This beginner task didn't seem difficult from the description, but Han Fei knew that things weren't always as they appeared.

Unable to leave the room, Han Fei had no choice but to tough it out.

He turned off all the lights and turned on the TV at 3:05 AM.

The old box TV emitted a hissing sound, and due to poor signal, many channels showed only black and white static.

The beginner task had already started without him realizing it. Han Fei sat straight on the sofa, remote control in his left hand and a kitchen knife in his right, staring straight at the TV screen.

"It's okay, I just need to hold on for thirty minutes."

Continuously changing channels, when Han Fei reached channel 44, the TV finally showed an image.

The lighting was dim, and the image on the screen was unclear, like an animation, but Han Fei had never seen such a bizarre animation before.

"Underworld Mini-Theater?"

Han Fei leaned forward and tried to increase the volume. Suddenly, he heard footsteps.

The gradually clearer sound wasn't coming from the TV but from the bedroom.

Someone was moving around inside the room!

The footsteps grew closer, and the person walked out of the bedroom and headed straight for him.

"Is it the ghost?"

"Does it have a knife?"

Han Fei didn't dare to move. The footsteps finally disappeared behind the sofa.

Watching TV at 3 AM in a dark room, the sudden footsteps that disappeared behind him made Han Fei's throat tremble. He forced himself not to turn around and kept his eyes fixed on the TV.

The animation on the screen had no sound. The deformed figure in the animation seemed to be avoiding something. Every time it paused, an invisible hand would grab it and drag it back.

Han Fei didn't know what the animation was trying to convey. When the figure was caught for the third time, Han Fei felt a heavy weight on his left shoulder, as if something had rested on him.

He didn't turn his head but glanced at his left shoulder with his peripheral vision, faintly seeing a pale arm.

His heart began to race uncontrollably. Han Fei clenched his teeth and forced himself to watch the TV. But when he moved his gaze, he saw something even more terrifying.

Behind the TV stand, a pair of legs appeared.

There was more than one ghost in this haunted house. Han Fei's body began to tremble. He desperately wanted to run to the security door and invite the neighbor from the sixth floor to watch TV with him.