Shadow on the Wall (Please Read On!)

"Lacan's Chapter?"

Xin Xin looked at the prompt before her, her expression puzzled.

Her anime avatar was also wearing a cartoon VR headset over her eyes, with a blankly cute expression that showed just how confused she was.

"Is this game played chapter by chapter?"

"So what happens now that I've entered a chapter?"

Xin Xin selected confirm. The prompt gradually faded, then disappeared.

She looked around to see whether anything had changed after activating the chapter.

But the environment remained unchanged. Everything was the same as before.

"I know who Lacan is. He's the ghost from the second trailer. I've entered his chapter, but nothing happened. Do I need to trigger something?"

Xin Xin, wearing her VR headset, tried moving around, but nothing happened, and her sanity remained normal.

She was a little lost. The game was so free that she had no objective at all and had no idea what to do.

However, after the viewers in her stream reminded her, she decided to explore the first floor first.

The moment she made that decision, before she could act, the door closest to her slowly opened.

A clear creaking and scraping sound echoed through the silent Entrance Hall.

Outside, the wind had begun blowing at some point. The trees on both sides rustled, forming an eerie accompaniment to the opening door.

Xin Xin suddenly turned her head and found that the door beside her had already opened a crack!

"A s-supernatural phenomenon!?"

She cried out, but quickly realized that her sanity had not dropped because of it.

There was no hazy blur, no afterimages in the scene.

Facing the supernatural occurrence before her, her vision remained completely normal.

"What is going on?"

Xin Xin was baffled, her expression full of confusion.

But since the door beside her had opened, she might as well go inside and take a look!

Don't be afraid. It's only a game.

She swallowed and comforted herself internally as she cautiously approached the door.

Then, the VR game's immense freedom became apparent.

She leaned against the edge of the wall and peered through the gap, vaguely making out the furnishings and decor inside.

This door was located to the left of the main entrance.

It had been a red door in the trailer, but now it had become white, and she had no idea what that meant.

Through the gap, she saw a switched-off television, a lit table lamp, a messy coffee table, and other items. It was probably a living room.

"Please don't be a jump scare. Please don't be a jump scare."

She stood before the door, took a deep breath, and steadied her breathing.

Then she used her controller to extend her in-game hand.

She grabbed the handle and pushed forward.

With a creak, the white door before her slowly opened.

Inside was indeed the layout of a living room.

Expensive furniture stood against the walls, while a luxurious carpet covered the center. Atop it was an expensive-looking coffee table cluttered with miscellaneous items and fruit.

Directly ahead stood an old-fashioned television. Beside it was a wheelchair that looked brand-new.

The snow-white walls were covered in decorative paintings, embellishing the room's luxury.

To the right was a Glass Partition Door leading into the dining room.

"It really is a living room."

Xin Xin carefully walked inside, her eyes scanning every corner to guard against danger.

After all, she had entered the chapter's proper sequence now. No one knew what might happen.

It was always better to be cautious.

The room was somewhat dim, just like the previous corridor that had only been illuminated by moonlight. There was only enough light to see.

The only light sources were the faint table lamps beside the television, barely illuminating the surroundings with their dim yellow glow.

Xin Xin found the light switch on the wall. Without thinking much about it, she reached out to turn it on.

But before her hand could touch it, the television behind her suddenly lit up.

At once, the entire room was filled with the harsh, grating static of a television with no signal. In the dead silence, it was unbearable.

In an instant, her character's sanity began to drop.

A powerful wave of dizziness hit Xin Xin.

"Don't... Don't do this again. Why are there so many supernatural things?"

There was a hint of tears in her voice, and she did not dare turn around.

But the television behind her continued its unceasing noise. The white glow from its screen not only illuminated the room, but also cast her entire shadow onto the wall.

But.

She discovered in horror—

The shadow on the wall was not hers!

On the pale pink-and-white wall ahead, the shadow was leaning on two crutches meant for the disabled. Under the white glow of the television's static, it stood silently and completely motionless.

"That isn't my shadow! I'm not using crutches!!"

She cried out in terror. The next second, she saw the shadow on the wall turn its head, and two distinct slits opened where its eyes should have been.

The shadow had opened its eyes!

And it was staring straight at her!

At that moment, Xin Xin felt an icy chill race up from her tailbone and surge directly to the top of her head.

The bone-chilling sensation made her feel as though she had fallen into an ice cellar, leaving her unable to move!

Turn on the lights!!!

Overwhelmed by a tremendous sense of danger, Xin Xin frantically pressed the switch before her.

Even as the clicking sounds rang out again and again, the living room remained dark.

"Get out! Get out now!"

Xin Xin hurriedly manipulated the controller, trying to flee the living room and return to the light in the Entrance Hall.

But.

Bang—

With a deafening crash, the door slammed shut in front of her, the force kicking up dust.

Panicked, Xin Xin rushed forward, grabbed the doorknob, and twisted it repeatedly.

But it would not open no matter what she did!

"What do I do? Sob... What do I do?!"

Xin Xin was genuinely on the verge of tears now, and even soft sobs could be heard.

She was truly terrified.

Her stream viewers hurriedly comforted her, while large numbers of paid highlighted messages kept encouraging her.

And at that very moment, the shadow on the wall moved.

Xin Xin jumped again and backed away in fear, terrified that the shadow would rush off the wall and attack her.

But the shadow merely leaned on its crutches and limped along the wall.

Xin Xin's eyes widened as she stared fixedly at it. No sound came from her throat, nor did she dare make one.

At this moment, she no longer felt as though she were playing a game.

The VR's powerful immersion made her feel as though she were truly experiencing everything before her inside the Mansion.

She therefore did not dare act rashly, nor did she dare have an extreme reaction.

She could only stand in place and watch the shadow pace along the wall.

She watched it pass the sofa.

Then the sofa shattered, its springs protruding as stuffing scattered everywhere.

She watched it pass the curtains.

A human-shaped outline immediately bulged from within, as though someone were walking behind the curtains. She could even hear the clear sound of crutches striking the floor.

She watched it pass the table lamp.

The next second, sparks flew. The table lamp went out on the spot, fell to the floor, and shattered into pieces.

She watched it pass the television.

In an instant, the television, which had previously displayed only static, began playing a black-and-white video.

Inside appeared to be an operating room. A group of people who seemed to be doctors surrounded a hospital bed like a documentary, their heads lowered as they busily worked.

Then, after the screen flickered, the doctors who had been looking down suddenly turned their heads in unison and looked at Xin Xin outside the television!

The horrifying sight made her scream. She staggered backward repeatedly and slammed against the door.

At that moment, Xin Xin could only feel her heartbeat accelerating nonstop. Cold sweat ran down from her temples, her lips became dry, and her throat began to grow hoarse.

Then she saw the shadow stop at the wall behind the wheelchair.

Under Xin Xin's terrified gaze, it released its crutches, stretched out both hands, and placed them on the wheelchair.

And at that very moment, several shriveled, filthy fingers slowly emerged from behind the wheelchair.

As though they echoed the shadow on the wall, they formed a single entity.

The ghost... had appeared!!!

"I-I don't want to play anymore! I don't want to play anymore!"

Xin Xin's hands went numb, terror flooding her mind.

For a moment, popularity, rankings, first place—none of it mattered in the face of the horror before her.

She only wanted to take off the VR headset, curl up under her blankets, and calm herself down.

But before she could act in time, those shriveled fingers suddenly pushed the wheelchair straight at her!

The attack came without warning, catching her completely off guard. All that remained in the entire stream was a shrill scream that seemed to shake the heavens.

Elsewhere, Zai Zong was also drenched in sweat.

After getting over his initial novelty and curiosity, he too entered the proper sequence.

But he had entered Dolores's Chapter.

It all began with him unable to keep his hands to himself.

Ever since entering the game, he had discovered that every item had its own individual model and could be picked up and played with.

This unprecedented level of freedom immediately stirred up his urge to play!

He picked up every item he could lift.

Sometimes he tossed things, sometimes he threw them, sometimes he performed tricks with both hands, and sometimes he made precise basketball shots. He was having the time of his life.

When he arrived at the Entrance Hall, he almost immediately spotted the Key on the Living Room Door.

Years of gaming experience told him that keys were often the most important items.

So, before he had even finished exploring the house, he picked up the key first.

As a result, the key with a small mirror instantly turned into specks of white light and drifted away, leaving him dumbfounded.

Then another prompt appeared.

A Twisted Dream.

You have activated Dolores's Chapter. From this point onward, you will explore the stories of the Mansion's Past Residents and learn about the strange experiences they once endured.

After activating the chapter, Zai Zong was still baffled and deeply annoyed.

He cursed himself for touching things so carelessly!

He had not even finished exploring the house before entering the chapter sequence!

With no other choice, he relied on his extensive gaming experience to follow the clues to the second floor. There, he discovered an Attic above the ceiling, along with the sounds of someone walking inside.

He immediately understood that he needed a tool to open the Attic door and climb up.

So he had to start looking for that tool.

But now, standing at the stairway on the second floor, he did not dare go down.

Because—

At the Entrance Hall below stood a man whose appearance he could not make out, silently standing still.

The lights that had been on before had already gone out.

Most of his body was hidden in the darkness, making him impossible to see clearly.

But there was one thing Zai Zong could see.

Six blood-dripping Western kitchen knives, gleaming with cold light, were embedded in the man's chest.

There was no doubt about it. The man downstairs—

Was not human at all.!

I made some minor adjustments to the game content. Also, I won't write too much about the players' gameplay experience; it will be wrapped up within eight chapters.

Thank you to Little Troll Fake for supporting with 17 monthly tickets! Thank you! Thank you to Sakura Loli for the monthly ticket support! Thank you to Zhong Tou for the monthly ticket support! Thank you to Yakumo Murasaki for the monthly ticket support!