novelraw Chapter 148: Reactions from All Parties
Chapter 148: Reactions from All Parties
"Thank you, sir—" Xu Zisheng expressed his gratitude solemnly, then gradually revealed the information he had obtained tonight and his own deductions before the [Writer].
When he inferred that the most obedient child was 'Xiao Yong', Xu Zisheng carefully observed the Writer's expression, trying to detect some clues.
But unfortunately, he failed.
The [Writer]'s faint smile at the corners of his lips remained unchanged, making it impossible to read his emotions—he still seemed to carry that subtle sense of detachment.
He would guide, he would instruct, but he would never directly provide answers.
If the truth were laid out plainly before one's eyes, wouldn't that diminish much of the intrigue?
The collision between human will and choice with actual reality could create destinies that diverged in different directions—this was what the [Writer] wished to witness.
"Pleasant dreams, young friend. I will naturally look after this child."
"And also..."
After hinting to Xu Zisheng about how the night monsters were generated and the existence of two opposing forces within the orphanage, the [Writer] said no more.The dark-haired young man curled his lips slightly, his figure beginning to dissipate bit by bit, eventually vanishing from Xu Zisheng's sight.
Look after—
How long could he actually look after him?
If he failed to uncover the final truth of this orphanage instance, would Gui Yi end up buried here with him?
Was it even possible that the [Writer] might send him back?
Without demonstrating sufficient value, why keep hoping for mercy from a powerful entity?
Gui Yi indeed belonged to a special category.
This instance wasn't within the Horror Game World, possessing unusual eerie aspects unlike before, so it was entirely possible he wouldn't be tolerated by the rules.
Xu Zisheng naturally understood that he couldn't delay any longer. If he could find an opportunity tomorrow during daylight hours, that would be best.
If not, he absolutely had to take that 'most obedient child' away from this place before 2 AM tomorrow night.
He had a premonition that if they missed this timeframe, the most unpredictable situation would occur.
———————————————
Xiao Gui'an remained immersed in his acting state, not daring to relax for even a moment, drifting through the cold orphanage where he encountered the final ghost of the night.
It was a hunched-over ghost, its tattered, worn clothes showing traces of their original form, holding a broom and dustpan while still performing its original duties.
Its bloodshot, murky eyes retained some clarity, and its body seemed tightly bound by metal rings that constricted its flesh, making its movements extremely slow.
Whenever it stopped moving, the metal rings would tighten, as if crushing its internal organs to pieces.
The pain appeared unbearable—the ghost continuously emitted hoarse, unpleasant sounds from its throat, its body trembling slowly.
This was a vicious cycle: unable to clean properly due to the pain, causing the metal rings to tighten even more.
"Another night..."
"Perhaps it should end..."
Intense suffering and torment, yet unable to break free, forced to endure it all—the ghost gasped heavily, inching along while muttering a few low phrases.
Every existence in this orphanage was an accomplice in harming those children.
Everything that happened at night was merely inverted atonement.
He hadn't expected the cleaner to still retain awareness.
Since he had stayed in this orphanage the longest, he was probably one of those who understood its changes and developments most clearly, yet remained powerless to change anything.
Painfully aware, yet ultimately driven by desire and profit to become an oppressor.
When this orphanage finally reached its end, it too would disappear along with it.
Only after the thin door panel isolated all the cold and noise did Xiao Gui'an relax slightly.
He calmed himself in the consciousness space for a while before beginning to contemplate what to do next.
Xu Zisheng and the others truly hadn't disappointed him—with their combined strengths, they had indeed uncovered much information quickly.
Recent observations and the information from the past two days were enough to piece together what had happened in this orphanage.
Xiao Gui'an trusted Xu Zisheng's deductions, though he felt something had been overlooked.
Some doubts still remained before him: what was the orphanage's final outcome?
Before the child 'Xiao Yong' died, did all the evildoers in this orphanage pay for their actions?
What did Xu Zisheng and the others plan to do tomorrow?
He would take it one step at a time.
If destroying this place proved impossible, he hoped to at least stop everything happening here, ensuring those in the real world wouldn't be drawn into it anymore.
———————————————
It was now 3 AM in the night.
"Thud—"
A heavy object landing sound echoed as the Acting Director's figure materialized mid-air before crashing violently to the ground.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
She coughed violently, numerous black feathers falling from her body, while black shadows seemed to writhe beneath the floor where she lay prostrate.
"Cough, cough, cough, damnable things, die, die—"
Her pitted nails scraped white marks into the floor, showing the immense force she exerted. The Acting Director's body, shrouded in black robes, trembled slowly.
Then the flesh on her surface began melting as if scorched by flames.
Her other hand clawed at her face and ripped violently—the entire middle-aged woman's face, along with sticky flesh and skin, fell to the ground, mixed with black, foul-smelling liquid.
A younger face, more fitting with those eyes, appeared on the Acting Director's features, looking only in her twenties.
But currently, she was gnashing her teeth, her expression twisted like a demon crawling from hell, with undissipated black feathers still visible on her cheeks and neck.
"Just a little more..."
"Damnable players, which ones are they?! I'll kill you, I must kill you!"
"Absolutely, absolutely cannot let the Master know..."
"I can handle this, I can manage it, I can..."
"Tomorrow, I'll try again tomorrow!!"
The entire orphanage lay beneath that enormous black figure, though compared to yesterday's state, it seemed somewhat quieter today.
Its aura felt both weakened and powerful, existing in an extremely contradictory state.
Faintly, when it moved, the sound of clanking chains grew louder.
It looked around, seemingly unable to find any trace of that black bird, before slowly retracting its hand.
The pupil-less eye in the invisible black box above its head finally disappeared.
Whether due to oppression or something else, the imposing black figure with hollow eyes remained silent for a while, as if recovering somewhat, before moving again.
Snow had accumulated thickly in the orphanage courtyard. The black figure reached out and began drawing in the snow.
Perhaps due to confusion or unfamiliarity, its movements were somewhat slow. What eventually appeared in the snow was a slender pattern resembling a calligraphy brush, or perhaps chopsticks, or some other object.
It silently observed for a long while, then casually sketched several small figures nearby. These little figures held hands, surrounding the first pattern.
Finally, the black figure drew a large circle, enclosing everything it had sketched in the snow.
The wind and snow showed no signs of stopping, continuing until dawn broke.
The fourth day of the instance arrived—
——————————————
The morning classes of the fourth day passed peacefully.
This left Xiao Gui'an somewhat incredulous.
Compared to yesterday, even more orphans gathered around him today.
Even Xiao Xuan, who had been reluctant to approach him previously, came over with several companions during break time.
Break time was brief, but they all hoped to see the [Writer]—just hearing him speak might bring them some comfort.
The gentle, jade-like dark-haired young man was surrounded by children of all sizes. He spoke softly, sometimes about stories he had read, occasionally revealing glimpses of his past experiences through his words.
Yang Qianqian also joined the circle.
Meanwhile, only Cheng He and Xu Zisheng remained on the outskirts, conversing.
Xu Zisheng also informed Cheng He about the underlying situation within the orphanage.
[Long premeditated, unknown how many people have been drawn into this]
The boy adjusted his thick glasses, clearly having realized the enormous conspiracy lurking behind this.
Countless people from real life had been devoured, yet they had remained completely unaware!
After last night's encounter with the ghost capable of manipulating black mud shadows and sporting a terrifying crow's head, Xu Zisheng could already guess who was behind it all.
If they truly attempted to take 'Xiao Yong' beyond the orphanage gates today, they would undoubtedly face the Acting Director's obstruction.
Moreover, finding a plausible reason to make him follow them posed another problem.
Should they resort to forceful measures to take him away, or use other pretexts to lure him outside the orphanage gates?
There was no major cleanup at noon today, providing ample time.
Enough for them to sound out Xiao Yong's thoughts, after which they could better determine how to approach him.
After lunch, Yang Qianqian made the first move.
Her handicraft work had been quite good these past few days, and she maintained decent communication with both ghosts and players alike.
She could exchange a few words with Xiao Le among the children.
Using an appropriate excuse, she lured Xiao Le to the handicraft classroom.
Since the four children usually stayed together, they naturally followed rather than leaving Xiao Le alone.
Xu Zisheng and Cheng He exchanged glances before preparing to split up.
One would find an opportunity to test Xiao Yong's attitude, while the other would use this interval to sneak into his dorm room, hoping to find more useful items.
The [Writer]'s stance was now clear, and Teacher Xu implicitly stood on the same side, making the noon break without classes much safer.
At least under these two's supervision, other entities found no opportunities to exploit.
Xiao Gui'an subtly observed Xu Zisheng's actions, feeling everything should proceed steadily.
He quietly provided cover for them, ensuring nothing appeared suspicious, then cheerfully prepared to follow the children to the handicraft classroom.
But halfway there, a caregiver approached.
"Teacher Yan, the Acting Director wishes to see you about something. She requests you come to her office..."
Xiao Gui'an stopped walking, glancing at Teacher Xu, who maintained her usual stern, unreadable expression.
With Teacher Xu watching, nothing should go wrong, right?
Xu Zisheng and the other official personnel were also present.
He had no apparent reason to refuse the request now—he might as well see what this was about.
Let's see what the Acting Director intends to do—
Thus, the [Writer]'s departure fell right into the enemy's plan of luring the tiger away from the mountain.