Chapter 33

The sleep task requires me to start within five minutes, and the shower task must be completed before four in the morning. I have ample time to complete both tasks.

Han Fei had already planned it out in his mind: "First, I'll complete the sleep task. According to the task requirements, I can meet the three-hour restriction while completing the sleep task, and then I can log out at any time."

"The shower task requires me to go to the bathroom. It's hard to escape if something supernatural happens in a confined space, but I can log out at any time. If I encounter something beyond my limits, I can just exit directly."

He didn't take on the tasks recklessly but considered them carefully.

The beginner protection period is over, and I don't know what the outside world has become. Instead of taking the risk to take on new tasks, it's better to complete the beginner tasks in this haunted house.

After all, he had already memorized nearly a hundred pages of case files to survive in this room.

Time passed slowly, and Han Fei started to get busy in the room. He turned off all the lights, found a kitchen knife and hid it under his pillow, and then dismantled the mop handle.

To be honest, the kitchen knife was more of a psychological comfort for Han Fei. Even if a neighbor came over, he wouldn't use the knife. He would only take out the stick to provoke or, more politely, invite them if they passed by without coming in.

To prevent the anti-theft door from being too secure, Han Fei deliberately left a small gap.

"If the ghost in the haunted house goes crazy, I'll run out. If a special neighbor comes in and I can't handle it, I'll run to the deepest bedroom in the haunted house."

He was prepared to attack or retreat. After making all the preparations, Han Fei went to the bedroom near the living room, where he had done the sleep task before.

"Last time, I failed because I was too nervous. I was so close to success, but I was too timid. This time, I will definitely hold on for three hours. Only by completing the sleep task will I have enough room to maneuver for the shower task."

Han Fei stared at the digital clock on the wall, constantly giving himself mental encouragement.

At 12:05 AM, he lay on the bed in the bedroom, completely covered by the blanket, leaving only a small gap to secretly observe the outside.

"Last time, the ghost in the bathroom appeared at 2:44 AM."

"Today, I started the task at 12:05 AM. If the ghost appears at 2:44 AM again, I only need to hold on for 21 minutes to complete the task."

"It's challenging, but not impossible. Compared to last time, I now have a passive skill—Hide and Seek. As long as I hide well, my presence will be minimized."

The sleep task had already started, and Han Fei was quite confident: "I don't need to be too nervous at the beginning. The key to this task is the last half-hour, but I can't be complacent. The task description says that the difficulty increases slightly each time a beginner task fails. I must be prepared for unexpected situations."

Hiding under the blanket, Han Fei held the kitchen knife handle in one hand and the mop handle in the other. His muscles were tense, like a wild leopard entering a hunting state, with a serious expression and sharp eyes.

Who would have thought that just a few days ago, he had messy hair and a lifeless look, locked in his rental apartment, playing games day and night.

It was late at night, and the room became very quiet, with only the ticking of the digital clock.

Han Fei silently calculated the time, his eyes fixed on the bathroom door lock, focusing all his attention on the bathroom.

But at 12:14 AM, a creaking sound suddenly came from the quiet room.

"The bathroom door lock didn't move; it's a sound from somewhere else!"

In the dead silence, any sound was amplified. Han Fei carefully judged the source of the sound, his gaze moving away from the bathroom.

"That sounds like a door opening. The door hinges in the deepest bedroom of the haunted house are the most rusted!"

Han Fei's slowly moving gaze stopped at the bedroom door. He saw half a child's face outside his door.

The child's features were blurry, and he slowly extended his head into the bedroom.

Han Fei held his breath, not daring to move.

The child looked around the room for a long time, then dragged his mutilated body past Han Fei's bedroom door.

"It's only 12:14 AM, that's way too early, isn't it?"

Han Fei's bedroom only had a view of the living room and the bathroom, not the deepest bedroom in the haunted house. He only realized something had come out of that room when he heard the door hinges.

"The deepest bedroom in the haunted house is the most dangerous. The sleep task has changed, and the ghost appeared earlier, but there's some good news: the ghost doesn't seem interested in me."

The child moved around the living room and finally sat on the sofa. Han Fei could see the back of the child's head from the bedroom. He was worried that the child's head would suddenly turn 180 degrees and face him.

The air in the room was filled with unease. Han Fei hid under the blanket, not even daring to stick out his fingers.

"It's okay, I just need to hold on for a little over two hours."

The child on the sofa didn't move. At 12:44 AM, a woman with long hair passed by Han Fei's bedroom door and also went to the living room.

"Another one?"

The woman's figure was also blurry. She picked up the TV remote and sat silently next to the child.

Looking at the two ghosts on the sofa, Han Fei's hair stood on end. He was afraid if they didn't turn their heads, and he was even more afraid if they did.

Time seemed to slow down, and every moment was unbearable. Since the two ghosts sat on the sofa in the living room, Han Fei's posture hadn't changed, and he didn't even dare to breathe too hard.

Tick, tick, tick...

The ticking of the digital clock gradually mixed with other sounds, like water droplets falling.

At 1:04 AM, the kitchen door was pushed open, and a woman with short hair, holding a fruit knife, stood at the door, looking for something.

At 1:14 AM, the sound of high heels came from the deepest bedroom.

At 2:44 AM, the bathroom door lock began to tremble slightly, and soon the door opened a crack.

Through that crack, an eyeball was looking at Han Fei's bedroom.

A pale arm reached out from the bathroom, with matted black hair sticking to the face. The person crawled out of the bathroom and then disappeared from Han Fei's view.

The temperature in the bedroom slowly dropped, and Han Fei clenched his teeth. He heard the sound of something brushing against the bedsheet, and faint strands of black hair hung from the gap in the blanket, as if someone was crouching by the bed, head down, ready to crawl into the blanket.

Han Fei covered his mouth and nose, his eyes fixed on the gap in the blanket. It was now 2:45 AM, and the three hours were almost over.

A cold feeling pierced his heart and lungs, and Han Fei's face turned purple. Just as he was about to give up, the TV in the living room was turned on by someone.

A faint cold light shone into the room, and the chill in the bedroom gradually disappeared.

Han Fei released his hands and looked at the living room. Another figure had appeared on the sofa.