Mu Anqi calmed down after seeing that the other players were treated the same as her. This Goddess of Beauty… really does seem a bit fake.
Since childhood, Mu Anqi couldn't say she was an absolute beauty, but she wasn't just barely passable either, right? Could it be that, in the eyes of the Goddess of Beauty, anyone with regular facial features is just "passable"? Judging by how picky she is, probably no one can get a rating above "pass."
Just as the players were angrily complaining, a few white-paper residents walked over: "Travelers, you can choose to stay at our homes for the night, or you can choose to rest here."
The players were stunned.
These were two options. At first glance, it seemed safer for everyone to crowd into this house, taking turns to keep watch. But the house was only so big — if a nighttime massacre occurred, the ghosts could easily wipe them all out at once.
As for staying at the homes of the Samsara City residents… just looking at these residents made it obvious where the danger might come from.
"Players with self-defense abilities can go stay with the residents — maybe they'll even gain extra information. Those with support-type abilities or who are more timid can stay here. There's strength in numbers, and it's less likely to die."
Mu Anqi considered herself not particularly brave, but… with her ability, it was clearly more suitable to stay at a resident's home. Ideally, a single-person household. Blessing one ghost was definitely easier than blessing a group. She had just gotten ready to head out when a few female players walked over.
"Hi, we just teamed up. You seem to be alone — would you like to join us?" The one who spoke looked around seventeen or eighteen, with bright eyes, white teeth, and a lovely face. Her voice was crisp, and she seemed very kind and non-aggressive. "We're all solo female players, so we can look out for each other during the trial."
"Thank you. Are you planning to stay in this house?" Mu Anqi asked.
"Yeah, gathering together means we can take turns keeping watch."
"Sorry, I'm planning to stay at one of the residents' homes." Mu Anqi gave an apologetic smile. "Maybe tomorrow, we'll have a chance to team up."
The female player looked slightly disappointed but quickly recovered and smiled. "Alright then. I hope you make it through the night safely."
"Thank you, same to you." Mu Anqi expressed her gratitude for the invitation and walked out of the house. She had originally planned to choose one of the residents she had spoken to that morning, but these residents looked exactly the same — she could only distinguish their gender by body shape, and had no idea which one she had talked to. So she randomly stood next to a female paper-faced resident.
"Follow me." The paper-faced resident, seeing that Mu Anqi had chosen her, turned around and led the way to her home.
Mu Anqi thanked her sincerely, followed quietly, and didn't speak much as she trailed behind the resident back to her house.
The players gradually dispersed — some stayed behind in the warehouse, temporarily teaming up with others, while some followed the Samsara City residents away. There were also those who trusted their teammates deeply and asked if they could stay together. The resident, with her paper face, "stared" at the two for a while before nodding in agreement.
Mu Anqi followed the resident and stopped in front of a simple bungalow. The resident didn't take out a key — the house wasn't even locked, and the door opened with a push.
Mu Anqi stepped inside. The house… was very empty. And very clean. There were no flashy decorations; even the walls were just simply painted.
"Any guest room is fine. There's food in the fridge."
The resident stood at the entrance of the master bedroom, her paper-white face expressionless as she faced Mu Anqi, unmoving. Mu Anqi looked back — the cold white light in the master bedroom shone on the resident, making her look like a cold, rigid statue.
The guest room was clean, spotless. There were no traces of old blood or signs of a struggle.
Mu Anqi checked the kitchen. The pots, bowls, and utensils were all complete. The kitchen was also spotless, without the slightest trace of oil or smoke.
This house was no different from a brand-new home.
The residents of Samsara City were clearly not human. And since they weren't human, naturally they didn't need to sleep or eat human food. It was normal that the rooms lacked signs of daily life, and normal that the kitchen had never been used. As for the fresh ingredients in the fridge…
Were they prepared for the players?
Mu Anqi didn't dwell on it. She glanced at the time, and while it was still not completely dark, she quickly went into the guest room's private bathroom to test the shower and hot water. Once she confirmed they worked, she quickly took a shower and changed into a fresh set of athletic wear.
Since she was staying here, then tonight… would she sleep or look for information? Could she leave the guest room? Mu Anqi hesitated in the room for a while and simply sat down by the bed. She definitely wouldn't sleep soundly tonight. After all, who knew if that resident might break in to assassinate her? As for searching the house for clues… that didn't have to be rushed.
Mu Anqi sat in the room for a bit, not hearing any sounds from outside. She guessed the resident might have gone back to their own room. If that was the case, she might be able to search the living room a bit, maybe check the kitchen cabinets to see if there was anything inside. With that thought, Mu Anqi carefully got off the bed and tiptoed to the door, slowly opening it just a crack.
When Mu Anqi saw a patch of white outside, her heart felt like it was suddenly gripped tight and stopped for a moment. In that instant, her mind went blank, but her hands steadily closed the door again — without making a sound.
Mu Anqi covered her mouth, forced herself to breathe slowly, silently took a few steps back, and finally collapsed slowly onto the bed. Staring at the ceiling, she felt like the clothes she had just changed into after showering were now soaked with cold sweat. In the silent room, the only sound was the intense pounding of her heart.
— Damn!
Why was that resident standing at her door?! And why was that paper-white face so close to it?!
Mu Anqi had never been more thankful for her cautious nature. If she'd moved a little faster or reacted a bit slower just now, wouldn't she have come face-to-face with that paper-faced resident in a deadly stare?
This won't do. Isn't she basically trapped in the room now? With a "door guardian" squatting right outside, who could possibly sleep?
Wait.
According to the handbook, Guan coins were crystals refined from emotional energy essence. Ghosts could absorb them directly, though the enhancement effect wasn't very strong. So, could it be possible that…
Mu Anqi counted out six Guan coins from her backpack and activated her ability to generate a red envelope. Holding the thin red paper envelope carefully, she tiptoed to the door, crouched down, and slowly pushed the envelope through the gap under the door.
"Enter the master bedroom."
Mu Anqi didn't push the red envelope all the way out; she left a small part inside the room so she could keep an eye on it. Anxiously, she saw the portion of the envelope still inside disappear.
[Ding! Skill activated successfully!]
It worked! Mu Anqi pressed her ear to the door and listened for a while but heard no footsteps… though that was to be expected. She slowed her breathing and cautiously opened the door a crack again, peeking out through the gap.
— The resident, dressed in plain clothes and stiff as a statue, stood at the entrance of the master bedroom, and that paper-white face locked eyes with Mu Anqi.
"Gulp." Mu Anqi swallowed hard. She thought, thank goodness that resident's face was just paper — if it had real facial features and gave her a creepy, seductive smile, that'd be the end of her.
Mu Anqi counted out five Guan coins and activated another red envelope, trying to get the paper-faced resident to go back inside and shut the door. She waited for a bit—no success notification. She thought for a moment, added three more Guan coins—still no response.
Feeling a bit helpless, Mu Anqi hesitated, then added another five Guan coins—still nothing. It wasn't until she used 20 Guan coins to activate the skill that she finally heard that crisp notification sound again.
When she opened the door again, sure enough, the resident was no longer there.
This resident's danger level… didn't seem all that high.
Mu Anqi took out her candy cane, enlarged it, and used it to wedge the master bedroom door shut. Only then did she head to the living room and begin carefully searching for clues.
The creatures of the Black Mirror Vortex… probably didn't know what Guan coins were, and naturally didn't understand their value. To the ghosts inside the Black Mirror Vortex, these tiny crystals… were probably just strange little snacks. As she made these deductions, Mu Anqi carefully checked the coffee table, drawers, and the crevices of the sofa. This household had a TV, but it wouldn't turn on.
Mu Anqi suddenly realized that Samsara City seemed like an isolated city. It didn't have power plants or similar facilities—so where did the electricity, water, and cooking gas come from?
Uh… maybe the escape world's version of self-justifying logic?
The kitchen cabinets were filled with neatly arranged utensils, as well as miscellaneous items like plastic wrap.
This house… appeared to have traces of daily life, and all the basic amenities were present. But in reality, there was no dirt in the sofa crevices, not a speck under the coffee table or beneath the sofa, not even a hint of dust inside the cabinets. Even the kitchen's hard-to-reach corners were spotless.
A brand-new house? Or had it been thoroughly cleaned? But no matter how clean, it shouldn't be so pristine that there wasn't a single bit of grime.
Mu Anqi couldn't figure it out. She lay on the ground, trying hard to peer into the narrow gap beneath the sofa—yet still found nothing. No clues at all.
Mu Anqi wondered, could it be that… staying the night really was just about simply sleeping here? Just like in [Seven Nights Hotel], where the ghosts took turns coming to the door? Speaking of danger, that paper-faced resident had looked her in the eye before, had even accepted her red envelope—was even bribed with just a few Guan coins. Looking at it that way, it didn't really seem that dangerous…
The clock on the wall ticked—tick tock, tick tock—and just as Mu Anqi was thinking the house was far too quiet and eerie, a calm voice sounded by her ear:
"What are you looking for?"
"Clues," Mu Anqi instinctively replied. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone crouching right in front of her, that paper-white face way too close!
Mu Anqi dropped straight to the floor on her butt in shock, eyes wide as she stared into the face of the paper-faced resident, who tilted their head slightly, seeming genuinely confused.
"If you're looking for something, why not turn on the light?"
"Blessi—" Mu Anqi nearly bit her tongue. She swallowed the rest of the word, staring at the paper-faced resident. This one… really didn't seem to have any intention of attacking her? Or maybe it could only attack under certain conditions? Did it require a specific kind of answer to trigger…? "Because I was afraid of disturbing your rest. I… my legs are a little weak right now. Could you help me up?"