Investigator's Message

Inside the Underground Library, as soon as Bai Zhi uttered those words, the entire Library fell into an eerie silence.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm just stating the facts and being the first to point out some possibilities."

Bai Zhi shrugged, looking completely innocent.

"If this were just a Mandatory Quest assigned by the system, it would be fine; there's no guarantee that someone wouldn't resort to such a ruthless method just to survive. But this is Large-scale Campaign Quest."

Bai Zhi's gaze swept across everyone's faces, and he smiled slightly.

"This Dungeon absolutely must be completely Walkthrough, that's for sure. But even with all these hidden rules we've acquired, how much Instance Completion Rate have we made? I don't think anyone would consider leaving at a time like this. Even if they desperately want to leave to save their lives, I don't think they'd do something so ruthless, would they?"

"50%, less than half."

He turned his gaze back to the Notebook, seemingly oblivious to the implied remark, and Fengxi’s Bone remained indifferent.

"It's too early to talk about these things now. There's still some information recorded here. Let's finish reading it first."

"Alright, to be honest, I'm also quite curious about the Investigator's whereabouts. He shouldn't have left Rose Manor."

Shrugging nonchalantly, Bai Zhi turned to a new page in his Notebook.

However, the records became quite fragmented later on, as if the other party didn't know how to describe it either, so they simply recorded it in a piecemeal fashion.

[The castle is very large, but thanks to the diligent Maid, there's not much to search; Maid always keep everything in perfect order.]

Anna is easy to talk to, but only if you don't deliberately provoke her; angering her will only lead to bad consequences. Of course, this easy-going nature only applies outside of "Anna's Game."

[The Doll's eyes can provide Anna with a field of vision; remember to avoid the dolls' eyes during Hide and Seek- Game.]

[The food provided in the restaurant each day is edible; the Tourist, Anna by Game Curse and forced to live in the castle, are already paying for their lodging and food.]

[Sometimes, Anna, in a good mood, would leave the castle. This "good mood" refers to her excitement at hearing about new Game from the Tourist and running off to try them out. Besides her ability to turn humans into dolls and her immortality, Anna also seems to possess the ability to freely alter the layout of the manor; she once conjured a kite and a swing out of thin air, and the castle's Power System was also created by Anna.]

[It's best not to constantly offer Anna various Game out of a desire to please her, because in the end, all of these Game will be reflected in the Player themselves. Someone suggested Minesweeper, and Anna conjured a Minesweeper outside the castle and made the person who suggested the Game try it out... In the end Game, he was blown up and turned into a pile of mangled Doll, and Anna, very unhappy, changed the Explosion power of the Landmine.]

[A considerable number of common who were also drawn into the Inner World entered this Dungeon along with us Player. However, these common were unlikely to pique Anna's interest; most of them were turned into Anna Doll abandoned in the Forest of Mannequins... The "Contract" is still not perfect. We hope the Logistics Department can work overtime to fill in the loopholes to prevent more innocent people from being drawn in.]

[There are likely other secrets hidden within this castle, and I need more time to find them... Those common who were turned into dolls by Anna, but whose dolls themselves haven't been seriously damaged, might still have a chance to come back to life...]

[The death toll is rising. I initially thought of having everyone write down their wishes for a safe escape so that as many as could get out, that would be enough. But I underestimated the greed in people's hearts... Don't they know that only by living can there be a future? However, "Anna's Gift" is random, so I can't really say anything about it. It's all a personal choice...]

[By the way, wishes are non-transferable; they can only be fulfilled by oneself. I wanted others to leave, but I couldn't. That giant Plush Cat carried me all the way to the entrance of the Mirror Maze. I could have left, but I went back again. This time, as long as I don't go near the castle or stay in any of the rooms inside, I won't be Curse. If I can hide Castle Perimeter, maybe I can warn the next group of Player...]

Every night, there's a chance of seeing Past Reenactment visions outside the door, visions of what happened before Rose Manor became what it is today. I didn't pay much attention to them before, thinking they were just Illusion of the Past. But when I stand outside the castle and look into it from afar, I suddenly have a new realization—this might be a breakthrough... However, I can't approach the castle at night; I can only gaze at it from a distance.

[I feel like I've vaguely grasped some clue, something about the truth behind the Rose Manor and the real secret behind Anna's immortality, so I've returned to the castle...]

[Those recurring hallucinations from yesterday can be entered. I already know the truth about the death of the person found dead in the First Floor Hall on the first morning; he unintentionally stepped into a past scene that night... Such opportunities are rare because the occurrence of Illusions of Yesteryear is unpredictable, and I must seize this opportunity.]

[I'm going to make my first attempt. If I succeed, I'll be able to Walkthrough this Dungeon entirely by myself. If I fail, I might never get out... But it doesn't matter, I'm going to give it my all.]

[If I don't return by dawn, this Notebook will likely be taken to the Underground Library by the Maid, and my Doll will probably appear in the First Floor Hall on the first floor, which would mean I've failed. If anyone later finds this Notebook, remember to take this information out and hand it over to the Relevant Department's Investigator. --Leaves "Night Evolution Breath," Senior Investigator of the Relevant Department.]

[PS: Try paying more attention to the portraits hanging in the castle corridors; you might find some pleasant surprises.]

--This is the end of the record; after that, the entire Notebook is blank.