Han Fei currently only had one friend in the entire building, the Grandma. He had used all his strength to raise Meng Shi's favorability; if something happened to her, all his previous efforts would be wasted."Cry has been trapped by me. Logically, that room should be very safe now. Could Chen Chen not be in Room 1034?"Han Fei picked up the Kitchen Knife and ran towards the Third Floor. The anti-theft door covered in Talisman Papers was wide open, but the Grandma was nowhere to be seen."Grandma? Chen Chen?" Han Fei stretched the hand wearing the landlords ring into the room. The ring on his hand showed no significant reaction, meaning the interior was safe.After a moment of hesitation, he slowly entered Room 1034, observing the dilapidated furniture inside.Inside Room 1034, Talisman Papers were everywhere—on the floor, the walls, and the ceiling. The entire room looked as if it had been sealed by Talisman Papers."This looks way too sinister! Even the Haunted House I live in isn't this exaggerated!"Han Fei was extremely cautious: "Something is wrong. The Child who came to my place didn't feel that strong; he doesn't warrant this kind of setup. There might be something else in the room."Although the ring had no reaction, Han Fei decided to retreat first. But as he moved backward, he suddenly realized that the door to Room 1034 had been closed by someone at some point.Cold sweat instantly broke out. Han Fei's body froze in place: "No way?"He had just locked the Child in a Bedroom, and now he himself was locked inside Room 1034. Karma truly works in cycles; Han Fei was utterly devastated."What should I do? Should I ask Wei Youfu to bring that Child over to exchange hostages? Crucially, Wei Youfu and the others wouldn't listen to me! Besides, that Child might have already reincarnated by now."Standing still, Han Fei twisted the Doorknob, holding onto his last hope. The anti-theft door wasn't locked, but he still couldn't open it."They really have no shame, playing dirty even after becoming ghosts."After stopping at the doorway for more than ten seconds, Han Fei finally calmed down."The landlords ring still hasn't transmitted any coldness. This is probably the only good news right now."There was something bad present in the room, but the entity hadn't leaked its aura; it was hidden for some reason.Han Fei knew he couldn't leave for the time being. His mind started racing as he scanned the interior with his peripheral vision."The Windows are completely sealed with Wooden Boards and covered with Talisman Papers, so jumping out is not an option. Room 1034 is directly below the Haunted House where I live. If I make a huge commotion here, the residents in the building should react."His gaze quietly shifted to the Kitchen, and Han Fei glanced at the Gas Stove: "This room hasn't been inhabited for a long time, so the gas is probably shut off. Even if it isn't, if I cause a big explosion, I'd definitely be the first to die."Han Fei went through every method he could think of, only to realize helplessly that he seemed unable to escape no matter what."I can leave the game now, but the problem is that when I log back in next time, I'll still be in this room. By then, I'll have no way to escape."Han Fei braced himself, deciding to thoroughly investigate the room while he still had the option to quit the game at any moment.Since there was no way to avoid it, he decided to take things one step at a time.Han Fei covered the Pendant given by the Grandma around his neck and slowly moved through the Living Room.He didn't dare make a sound, slowing his movements as much as possible.This room covered in Talisman Papers was quite frightening. White Rice Grains were scattered on the floor, a spirit altar and similar objects were placed in the corner, and occasionally, shredded paper figures could be seen.Various Pigments were smeared on those fragmented faces; the sight alone sent chills down one's spine."What exactly happened in Room 1034 before? Why is that Child named Cry?"Thinking about these matters, Han Fei pushed open the Bedroom Door.The old, rusty Door Hinge emitted a "creak, creak" sound. Just as Han Fei was about to enter, a Child with his eyes covered hugged him around the waist."I caught you!""Chen Chen?" Han Fei stared at the Child whose eyes were covered at the doorway, then looked inside the Bedroom. Meng Shi was lying unconscious on the ground, her worn outer garment covered in the Child's handprints."I finally caught you!"Chen Chen laughed happily, but Han Fei raised his hand and slapped the back of his head: "You still have the nerve to play here?"Han Fei ripped off the cloth strip covering Chen Chen's eyes. Only then did he realize the problem: Chen Chen's eyes were pure white. He looked possessed, and his current appearance was terrifying."I caught you! It's your turn to be the ghost! It's your turn to be the ghost... It's your turn to be the ghost!"Chen Chen kept repeating this sentence, and his voice grew louder. Gradually, echoes appeared in the room, as if others were also repeating the phrase.Han Fei tried to cover Chen Chen's mouth, but even muffled, the voice still echoed in the room. What was worse was that the ring on Han Fei's hand gradually began to emit coldness!The ghosts are here!Cold aura transmitted from all directions. Han Fei shielded Chen Chen and the unconscious Meng Shi behind him, turning his head to look around."It's your turn to be the ghost, it's your turn to be the ghost..."The spirit altar in the corner was disturbed, damp handprints appeared on the walls, and the faces of the paper figures on the ground seemed to be smiling happily.Soon, Han Fei saw a pale hand reaching out from the Wardrobe, followed immediately by half of a ghastly pale small face.Footsteps echoed in the empty Living Room. A round head peeked out from behind the Television, and a Little Girl with a ponytail crawled out from behind the Sofa.Creepy sounds kept coming. One by one, pale-skinned Children with only white in their eyes slowly crawled out from the Shoe Cabinet, the Kitchen, the Canvas, the Curtains, and the Quilt.Han Fei was starting to gasp for breath. His legs felt weak, and he had to lean against the wall to keep from falling.These Children seemed to be the missing Children from the Residential Community. Their numbers were overwhelming, enough to make one's scalp tingle!The air in the room had solidified, and all those Children were looking at Han Fei.This suffocating scene nearly finished Han Fei off. His heart was pounding out of his throat.The Children's voices gradually lowered, and an unpleasant crying sound echoed in the room. Following the sound of crying, Han Fei discovered a Black Shadow crouching in the corner of the room.This Black Shadow was short, and it was different from the other Children in the room."Is he the real Cry?"One by one, the Children entered the Bedroom. They held the cloth strips used for covering eyes and stared intently at Han Fei's eyes, continuously repeating the phrase, "It's your turn to be the ghost."Han Fei had not agreed yet. At that moment, one of the Children suddenly pounced on Han Fei, its sharp fingernails aiming directly at Han Fei's eyes!If he refused to wear the cloth strip, did they intend to blind him?Pairs of small hands grabbed Han Fei's clothes, preventing him from moving. Now, Han Fei could only watch as the fingers magnified in his pupils.Everything seemed predetermined, but just as Han Fei felt pain, the Amulet around his neck suddenly emitted a crisp sound, and a burst of cold aura erupted instantly."Bang!"The Child preparing to gouge out Han Fei's eyes fell to the ground. He wailed in pain, clutching his broken fingers, and the other Children were also frightened into letting go."Did Grandma's Amulet save me?" Han Fei looked down. The Amulet around his neck was covered in cracks and would probably shatter completely after one more use."What should I do? They will find out the secret of the Amulet sooner or later! I must find a way to escape quickly!"A faint crying sound entered his ears. The Black Shadow had entered the Bedroom unnoticed. It seemed to represent all the darkness and coldness of this entire room; it was the real "Cry"!While the other Children dared not approach, it silently stared at Han Fei, then picked up the cloth strip for covering eyes from the ground and extended it toward Han Fei.Meng Shi's Amulet could only be used one more time at most. Han Fei knew that even refusing "Cry" wouldn't change his situation. Every nerve was taut; he clearly understood that this was the most critical moment.Han Fei neither reached out to take Cry's cloth strip nor refused to play the Hide-and-Seek Game. After a moment of thought, an evil and cruel smile slowly appeared on his face.Crouching down, Han Fei brought his face close to the Black Shadow: "Ordinary Hide-and-Seek is boring. How about we play a big one?"With one hand in his pocket, a hint of obsession appeared on Han Fei's slightly sickly face. His eyes were filled with uncontrollable excitement: "Usually, Hide-and-Seek involves one ghost catching everyone. Today, why don't we reverse it? All of you ghosts try to catch just me!"The corner of his mouth curved up, and Han Fei's face was almost touching the Black Shadow: "I'll bet my life. If you can find me within one hour, you can do whatever you want with my life. If you can't find me, then you will help me do three things."Malice and madness burned in his eyes. The cold aura that had just erupted from the Amulet hadn't completely dissipated. At this moment, Han Fei looked like a kindred spirit to those Little Ghosts.The room slowly grew quiet. After an unknown amount of time, the Black Shadow nodded. It led all the Little Ghosts out of the Bedroom.Han Fei helped Meng Shi and Chen Chen follow suit. He placed Meng Shi and Chen Chen by the Living Room Door, his smile growing increasingly twisted, his body seemingly trembling with excitement: "If you don't find me in this room, you can also check the homes of the other Neighbors in this building. Consider that my hint."When all the Little Ghosts and the Black Shadow turned around, Han Fei walked to the Living Room Door. He twisted the Doorknob again, but the Room Door still wouldn't open."What a group of interesting Little Ghosts." Han Fei looked down at all the Children in the room: "Remember our bet, and try your hardest to find me!"With the most cruel and evil expression, he laughed unrestrainedly: "Now, let the game begin!"Han Fei opened the attribute panel and chose to quit the game.The world turned blood red, spinning around. When Han Fei opened his eyes again, he ripped off the game helmet.His entire body was soaked in sweat. Han Fei desperately clutched his hair, his eyes bloodshot."I'm finished, I'm finished. I went too far showing off this time!"
Hi Readers!!!
If you felt your heart race in this chapter…
Then you already know.
This wasn't just a game.
That moment—
when Han Fei chose to bet his life…
was not bravery.
It was madness.
And what comes next?
The consequences of that choice.
Because when he logs back in…
the game won't forget.
And neither will the ghosts.
Chapter 23 is the last chapter available here.
From the next chapter onward—
the story changes completely.
The rules break.
The danger becomes real.
And Han Fei… is no longer just a player.
If you think this was intense—
you haven't seen anything yet.
The next chapters dive deeper into:
– what happens after he returns
– the price of his gamble
– and the truth behind that "game"
If you're ready to see what happens next…
👉 Continue on Patreon (advanced chapters available)
Search: CrimsonInk8
or
patreon.com/CrimsonInk8
See you on the other side.