💖 If you enjoy my work, consider supporting me on Patreon. I'm offering advanced chapters there as a thank-you to readers.
--------------------
Check out advanced chapters on : patreon.com/DragonOP
--------------------
After listening to the grim radio broadcast, Hu Tao walked toward the front door opposite the counter. The chandelier hanging above her head began to sway rhythmically, making a slow, rhythmic creaking sound that echoed through the quiet house.
Through the small window in the door, she could see the blurred, dark outlines of a street under a dim light. She gripped the handle and pulled, but the lock remained firmly in place.
Hmph, so you still won't let this Hall Master leave, huh?
Hu Tao muttered her annoyance and gave the door a firm knock before turning back to the corridor. At the end of the hallway was an open doorway leading down a few small steps to yet another door.
However, when she pushed through that folding door, she stopped dead in her tracks. The scene in front of her was identical to the very first corridor she had started in. Behind her, the door slammed shut with a heavy, final thud.
Something definitely felt wrong.
Is this... a ghost wall?
As a professional in her field, Hu Tao had encountered many supernatural loops and spatial traps created by restless spirits. Usually, a simple ritual or a flick of her Pyro energy would clear the path, but in this game, she was powerless.
She couldn't tap into her elemental energy, which made it impossible to tell if this was a true haunting or just a trick of the house.
She walked forward again. The clock on the small table still read twenty-three fifty-nine. As she rounded the corner into the second stretch of the hallway, two cockroaches suddenly dropped from the ceiling. They landed right in front of her, completely ignoring her presence as they scurried toward the bathroom door.
Hey! How dare you tiny things ignore this Hall Master!
Subconsciously following the insects, she approached the bathroom. Just as she reached the door, a series of violent bangs erupted from the other side. The wood rattled on its hinges as if someone inside were throwing their entire weight against the door to get out.
Ah!
The sudden noise made Hu Tao jump. Without her Vision or her usual combat abilities to protect her, she found that her legendary courage was starting to fray at the edges. She quickly remembered that she had a crowd of people watching her every move on the monitor outside.
Feeling a bit embarrassed by her reaction, she marched right up to the door and grabbed the handle, determined to see what was making the racket.
The knob wouldn't turn. The banging stopped instantly, leaving the hallway in a deafening, heavy silence.
Fine then! Keep pretending to be a ghost. If you've got the guts, come out and face me!
She shouted at the door and gave it a couple of defiant kicks for good measure. Back in the shop, the onlookers were huddled together, terrified that she might actually succeed in opening the door and letting something horrifying into the room. When the door remained shut, Hu Tao put her hands on her hips and spoke with a proud huff.
Don't be afraid! If you actually decide to come out, this Hall Master might just agree to guide your soul.
She kicked the door one last time and continued down the hall. Although she was doing a great job of acting brave, Li Mo could sense the underlying panic in her movements. She wasn't nearly as calm as she wanted everyone to believe.
Standing nearby, Zhongli glanced at Li Mo out of the corner of his eye. From the moment he had entered the cafe, he realized he couldn't feel any elemental power, and even his formidable physical strength seemed to be suppressed by the shop's unique atmosphere. Within these walls, Li Mo was the one who held all the cards. Li Mo noticed the gaze and offered the consultant a friendly smile.
Zhongli's heart skipped a beat as he began to wonder about the true nature of this young man. If he really was a traveler from another world as he claimed, could he be a being on the level of a Descender? If so, the implications for Liyue—and all of Teyvat—were massive.
Back inside the game, Hu Tao entered the third loop through the door at the end of the hallway. The corridor appeared exactly the same as before, but after only two steps, a frantic knocking started on the bathroom door again. Hu Tao swallowed hard and forced herself to keep a steady pace. No matter how much her heart was racing, she refused to lose face in front of her landlord and her consultant.
As she reached the corner, the knocking became more urgent, accompanied by a strange, muffled crying sound coming from behind the wood. More cockroaches began to crawl around the edges of the door frame.
Why are you crying? I don't care what kind of monster you are, don't think you can be so presumptuous in front of me!
She shouted to embolden herself and reached out to slam her hand against the bathroom door. Once again, it wouldn't budge. Seeing that the door was still locked gave her a small, hidden sense of relief. She kept moving forward, but this time she kept a very close eye on the hallway behind her. She knew from plenty of ghost stories that doors usually opened the moment you turned your back.
Hu Tao stepped into the fourth loop without any further incidents. This time, there was no knocking and no crying. Everything seemed strangely quiet as she turned the corner.
However, just as she was about to reach the end of the hall, the door leading to the next loop slowly began to swing shut on its own. At the exact same moment, she heard the clear, distinct click of the door behind her opening.
A sudden, icy gust of wind hit Hu Tao squarely in the back.