Supernatural Phenomena (Please Read!!)

Hearing the phone ring, Zai Zong immediately became alert.

He slowly pressed himself into the corner of the wall, his mind sharpening to full alertness, ready to face danger.

In his view, this was a sign that the plot had been triggered—an entry into an event.

But after a long while, aside from the phone ringing, nothing happened.

This let him breathe a sigh of relief, though it was tinged with a hint of regret.

Still—

Zai Zong's gaze shifted toward the bottom of the stairs. On the right wall down there, a wall-mounted device was blinking with a red light from time to time.

That was clearly a phone, because the ringing was coming from it.

"Hmm... looks like I have no choice but to answer it."

Zai Zong steadied himself. Instead of heading down immediately, he surveyed his surroundings.

At this moment, he had two paths to take.

1. Go straight down, toward the phone ringing.

2. Turn right and go up, where a slightly ajar room was right nearby.

But the room on the second path had an eerie red light spilling through the crack in the door—seemed a bit ominous.

Zai Zong hesitated for a long time, then gave up on the idea of entering.

Instead, he chose to go down and trigger the plot.

So, he stepped onto the stairs, moving down one careful step at a time.

Meanwhile, he kept muttering to himself, "It's just a game."

"Calm down, Zai Zong!"

"You're the most handsome!"

"This is just a game—a game!"

"It's all code! All algorithms! No fear!"

"And what game throws something intense at you right away? They all ease you in!"

"So I'm not scared. I'm not scared."

The livestream chat instantly flooded with comments.

Several eye-catching messages floated by.

One, worth 1200 yuan, said: Weren't you the one saying you weren't scared earlier?

Seeing this, Zai Zong snorted coldly.

"What do you know? This is called strategic fear."

"If I act scared first, then when I do get startled later, it's not because the game scared me—it's because I proactively got scared beforehand, got it?"

"Before the game can scare me, I put on a scared face first, so the game doesn't count as scaring me—I scared myself, predicting the game's prediction. You guys don't understand this feeling of holding fate in your own hands."

The chat instantly filled with Yeah, yeah, sure comments.

As Zai Zong descended the stairs, the phone ringing grew louder.

At the same time, the scene gradually opened up, revealing more of the surroundings.

By the time he reached the wall-mounted phone, the entire downstairs was in full view.

It was a place like a living room.

Spacious, furnished with several high-end pieces.

Three display cabinets taller than a person stood against the wall, decorating the space like guards.

The luxurious carpet on the floor further highlighted the resident's extraordinary status.

Everything looked so normal—no ghosts, no anomalies.

Zai Zong steadied himself, approached the wall phone, and picked it up.

He knew that in games, this was a mechanism to advance the plot.

If he didn't answer, it would keep ringing forever.

He didn't want to keep listening to that death-knell-like ringing in this dead, unfamiliar house.

Soon, the call connected.

A somewhat aged voice came through.

[Hey, Dwayne, it's your neighbor.]

[I know it's late, and I know I might be a bit paranoid.]

[But... sorry, I'm a little worried.]

[Because I haven't seen you come out of your house for almost three weeks now.]

[So could you call me back? Just let me know you're okay.]

A few brief pleasantries, then the call ended.

Clearly it wasn't a live conversation, but a voicemail.

Zai Zong immediately recognized it as the old woman's voice from the trailer.

He knew that later on, this neighbor's voice would turn into a witch-like screech, constantly repeating the name Dwayne.

But now, in the actual gameplay, the neighbor's voice stayed perfectly normal throughout, never turning into that screech or letting out that bone-chilling laughter.

It was just like a friendly neighbor showing concern.

Zai Zong didn't understand this relationship, nor did he know how to call back—though it seemed there was no such mechanic anyway.

So he put the phone back, and this also taught him a small detail.

The protagonist he was controlling had stayed inside the house for three whole weeks without going out.

If he'd been cooped up that long, what was he doing at home?

At that moment, Zai Zong recalled emerging from a room that was completely empty, its floor covered in black stains.

He also remembered the opening cutscene, where a gunman killed a mother and her young children.

Then—

Wait!

Could it be that the shooter in the opening was Dwayne?

And because he'd killed himself, he hadn't left the house for three weeks, prompting the neighbor's concern?

Then who was the protagonist he was controlling now?

Dwayne?

Possible!

The game's timeline was very likely set before Dwayne pulled the trigger!

Thinking this over, Zai Zong pieced the clues together in his mind, then showed a look of sudden realization.

"Brothers, I think I've figured out the story."

"The protagonist I'm controlling now should be Dwayne—the one the neighbor mentioned on the phone, the same guy who shoots people in the opening. Think about it: after the protagonist shoots in the intro, he staggers, gets dizzy, and clutches his head in pain. What does that mean? It means the protagonist was already unstable in the opening! He's a messed-up guy!"

"And when someone has mental issues, who gets hurt first? Their family! So the woman, the boy, and the girl in the opening should be the protagonist's wife and kids. Plus, when he fires the gun, he's still struggling and holding his head, so he's got some sanity left."

"Based on the neighbor's call, the protagonist was clearly normal before. So if he went crazy, something must have happened to him, or he went through something."

"Then think about what game this is. A horror game! And a real horror game with actual ghosts!"

"So it's not hard to guess. The game's flow should be: the protagonist, while still normal, encounters a supernatural horror event, then gets slowly tortured into a mentally broken lunatic. Finally, it loops back to the beginning, where he can't take it anymore and guns down his family, forming a perfect cycle."

Zai Zong finished, feeling proud of his own cleverness.

This was the skill of a decade-long gaming veteran—deducing the game's story from tiny details and fragments of dialogue.

Not just anyone could pull that off!

And it wasn't for nothing that he held the title of fifth place among the Four Great Talents of Jiangnan.

"So in a bit, we players will witness exactly how the protagonist goes from a normal person to a madman, broken by supernatural horror."

The livestream audience heard this and immediately thought it made perfect sense!

They started flooding the chat with comments.

But then a prominent message, worth 100 bucks, suddenly floated across the screen.

"If the timeline is before the opening, then what's with the 'three weeks without going out'? Shouldn't it be that the protagonist didn't leave because he killed himself?"

Uh.

Zai Zong was momentarily speechless.

That actually made some sense.

Three weeks without going out—that would mean something happened to keep him inside.

If the timeline was before the protagonist killed his family, then a still-normal protagonist wouldn't stay home for three weeks, right? Didn't he have a job?

"Well... I'm not sure about that either. Let's just play and see. We can guess all day and still not get an answer."

So Zai Zong, with his questions, began to formally explore the house!

Meanwhile, on the other side, Xin Xin wasn't overthinking things.

As a MOBA player, she was currently tiptoeing through the house, terrified and on the verge of tears.

She'd originally planned to rank up today, but she happened to run into the release of Visage, and her viewers were clamoring to see this game.

But how could someone who'd fallen off her chair from fright during the trailer possibly stream it?

Even now, touching her butt vaguely reminded her of the pain back then!

So she announced she'd be ranking up today, and the new game would have to wait for another day.

The result was that her top spot on the game channel had instantly dropped to seventh.

It was only because the top six were all streaming "Visage," drawing in a lot of viewers, and the first place was none other than the perennial runner-up, Zai Zong's stream.

Watching him take the top spot felt like a taunt.

So, with no other choice, she had to buy the game on the spot and install it.

After changing the stream title, the viewership slowly began to recover, and the number of comments gradually increased.

Xin Xin cursed inwardly, "What the hell."

After about ten minutes, she finally entered the game.

At that moment, she was in a hallway, carefully tiptoeing forward, afraid that a ghost might pop out from some corner to scare her.

And this hallway looked very familiar—wasn't it the one shown in the trailer?

Except the red door at the end had turned white, and she didn't know what that meant.

She remembered that it was in this very hallway that she had been startled by a ghost jumping out at her, causing her to fall.

Thinking about it, she shuddered and quickly shook her head to stop her mind from wandering.

Then, hugging the wall, she advanced step by step, her heart pounding with fear.

She would bet 100 bucks that the haunted house at the amusement park was more comforting than this place.

"At least the hallway has lights, unlike the trailer where it was pitch black."

No sooner had she said that than the incandescent lamp above flickered and then went out.

The sudden extinguishing of the bulb startled her so much that she instinctively took two steps back in real life.

"What the hell!? Is the jump scare here!? Where!? Where!?"

Xin Xin quickly looked around, but the once bright hallway was now plunged into darkness, with only the gentle moonlight filtering through the blinds allowing her to see.

At the same time, a prompt popped up.

[The bulb has automatically extinguished. This is a supernatural phenomenon that will occur randomly in the game and will significantly reduce your sanity.]

[Please maintain your sanity, because the lower your sanity, the more frequently supernatural phenomena will occur. When your sanity drops to a certain level, you will lose your mind. At that point, good luck.]

[To restore sanity, stand in a bright place and avoid darkness. You can also collect Anti-Stress Pills to instantly restore sanity.]

Xin Xin read the prompt at lightning speed and clicked confirm.

At the same time, she patted her ample chest, relieved that the scare had passed without incident.

Thank goodness.

Nothing happened—it was just the bulb going out.

"And what's this about sanity? This is the first time I've seen a game with a mechanic like this! It's unheard of!"

The viewers in the stream also said they had never seen a game with such a mechanic.

That meant it was an original creation by the developers.

Seeing these comments, Xin Xin pursed her lips.

"Seriously, it doesn't even say what happens when you lose your mind, just 'good luck.' How am I supposed to not overthink that?"

She bit her lip and continued forward.

Soon, she exited the hallway and arrived at the foyer.

Before she could finish observing the new environment, a black radio at the bottom of the stairs leading to the second floor suddenly turned on by itself!

At the same time, Xin Xin noticed that her vision had become blurry and hazy.

When she moved, it felt as slow as if she were underwater, and the objects in front of her left afterimages when she turned her head!

What the hell was this?

Was it dizziness?

Then, she remembered the earlier game prompt.

Encountering supernatural phenomena reduces your sanity.

Could this be the visual representation of reduced sanity?

Using blurry, slow, afterimage effects to tell the player that their sanity was dropping?

Thinking about it, she shuddered. She really didn't like this visual effect—it gave her a dizzy, nauseating feeling.

So she quickly walked over to the light in the foyer.

Soon, the screen returned to normal. The blurry, slow effect was gone, and there were no more afterimages.

This proved that what had just happened was a representation of reduced sanity.

Because she had encountered the supernatural phenomenon of the radio turning on by itself.

At that moment, the radio began to emit the distinctive broadcasting voice of the host.

[Oh~ Hello, dear listeners.]

[The weather today couldn't be better!]

[Temperatures remain above 77 degrees Fahrenheit, clear skies, perfect for an outing.]

[Prepare your itinerary, bring your family, and head to the beach for some fun.]

[Take a day off, set aside your busy work, and tell your spouse and children how much you care about them.]

[Additionally, we have a special guest today who will share the joy of family happiness with us.]

[His name is Dwayne Dwayne. Dwayne. Hehehe. Dwayne. (inaudible)]

Xin Xin felt a chill run down her spine.

The radio's originally normal host voice abruptly changed the moment it spoke that name!

Sometimes sharp and fast, sometimes low and slow.

It was as if it had been twisted and stretched by some tuning device, unbearable to listen to!

At the same time, Xin Xin noticed her surroundings starting to blur, her turning becoming sluggish.

This... is another supernatural phenomenon!

And I'm still standing under the light!!!

Xin Xin couldn't stand the eerie voice from the radio, so she quickly stepped forward and tapped it.

Unexpectedly, the radio actually turned off!

That grating sound vanished in an instant.

After a moment, her vision returned to normal, no longer blurry or slow.

Her sanity was gradually recovering.

Reaching this point in the game, Xin Xin let out a heavy breath and pounded her ample chest to calm herself down.

Since starting, she had encountered three supernatural events: the light bulb going out, the radio turning on by itself, and the radio's distorted voice.

But she hadn't even seen a ghost yet! Just three supernatural occurrences had already pushed her to the brink of mental collapse, making it hard to keep playing!

This is too torturous!

Xin Xin felt a bit frantic, but seeing the flood of gifts in her livestream, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to continue.

No help for it—money smells nice.

But right now, she needed to calm down before facing the next part of the game.

Since the front door was right there in the entryway, why not try opening it and seeing what's outside?

After all, this was VR—on a freedom level, it might allow operations other games couldn't.

With that thought, Xin Xin turned around and took a step.

Behind her, the radio suddenly crackled to life.

This time, there was no host's voice.

Only bursts of static echoed through the quiet entryway.

She froze in shock.

"Didn't I fucking turn it off!?"

She spun around, her gaze landing on the radio.

The black device was now glowing red, emitting a piercing noise.

Xin Xin didn't rush to turn it off. Instead, she cautiously scanned the entryway.

The space was open and connected.

Directly in front of the main door was a closed door. Beside it, a staircase led to the second floor, with a cane leaning against the railing.

To her left was another closed door, a set of keys hanging from it.

To her right was the hallway she had come from.

The entryway was spacious, but it offered her no sense of safety.

It even felt like something could pop out and attack her at any moment!

So she gritted her teeth, and after carefully confirming there was no danger, she stepped forward again and turned off the radio.

In an instant, silence returned.

And she breathed a sigh of relief.

To be honest, before Dark Forest and Visage came out, no horror game had ever put her in such a state of constant fear—never!

Not even 21 Points!

It was only after those two games that she started feeling this way.

Xin Xin let out another breath.

After glancing around once more, she quickly moved to the front door.

But before she could turn the handle, she was drawn in by the view outside the door.

The door was framed in gold trim, set with decorative glass that offered an unobstructed view of the outdoors.

At this moment, beyond the main entrance, the night was hazy and utterly silent.

Rain fell from the sky in a steady, drizzling stream.

Mist spread and drifted through the streets of the Town, swallowing every building within sight, yet leaving them faintly visible, like a fairyland!

The wet ground reflected the surroundings.

No pedestrians were on the road, and no sound could be heard beyond the rain.

It was as if she were the only one living in this Town, cut off from the world.

Xin Xin stared through the glass at the scene outside, and a sudden loneliness welled up in her heart for no reason.

The next moment, she snapped out of it, shaking her head to steady herself.

"Can't let the game's atmosphere get to me. First, let's see if I can leave the house."

She pushed the loneliness aside, reached out, and twisted the door handle. It didn't budge—clearly locked.

"Can't open it. Well, that makes sense. An indoor game wouldn't let you walk outside."

Just as she was about to give up on the locked door, a prominent comment worth a hundred credits floated by.

It read: "Why not try smashing the door open with something? The outdoor scene looks so realistic, they must have modeled it, and the game's physics engine seems strong. What if it actually works?"

Seeing the comment, Xin Xin shook her head.

"The game's design definitely won't let you open it. The outside is probably just a pre-rendered cutscene."

With that, she stopped lingering at the front door and began exploring the entryway.

She opened the coat closet by the door and tried picking up a leather shoe on the floor.

To her surprise, she actually lifted it!

Not only that, but she bounced it in her hand a couple of times, and the shoe felt like it had real weight, bobbing up and down.

Amazing!

This was the freedom of VR gaming!

Something you could never do in a PC game!

Xin Xin hurled the shoe straight at the front door.

Thud. The door was unharmed, and the shoe fell to the floor.

There was even sound effects!

And physics collision!

"Can I pick up anything?"

Xin Xin glanced around and spotted a walking cane leaning against the stair railing.

She grabbed it, but the next moment, before the cane could even warm in her hand, it dissolved into specks of white light and vanished.

"Huh?"

"What just happened? Where'd the cane go?"

As she stood there stunned, a game notification appeared before her eyes.

All-Seeing Eye

You have begun the chapter of Lacan. From now on, you will explore the stories of the past residents of this Mansion and uncover the eerie experiences they once endured.

The next chapter will be horror and supernatural. I'm not sure if I can capture that atmosphere with my current skill level, but I'll do my best! Also, I've seen all the games you readers recommended, and I'll incorporate them later. Thank you to 'Warmhearted Profiteer', 'But Don't Say No', 'Reader 4032', 'eweeew', 'Book Friend 6141', 'TTLmc', and 'Clear Moon Returns' for your monthly ticket support! I appreciate it!