Alice's Hell (12) - The Decapitated Man
"Bang!"
The clutter placed by the bathroom door was kicked over with a dull thud.
Having said what he wanted to say (threatening), Yu Xing ignored Han Zhiyong's reaction in the closet, quickly bent down and slid behind the nearest bathtub, catching a glimpse of Black Shadow outside just as he entered.
That was a man with a crooked neck.
To be precise, it was a decapitated male ghost whose neck had been severed, causing it to tilt to one side with only a layer of skin connecting it.
Blood tears streamed from the headless ghost's eyes, yet its pupils were unusually sharp, darting around in their sockets as if searching for any living people nearby.
[You've discovered the "Headless Man," the ghost notification has been updated]
Goblin 3: The Headless Man
[Corresponding tourist: Throat Cutter]
[Description/Source: 1. A man with a broken neck; it's clear he was quite handsome in life. 2. Its eyes are very sharp; who knows what will happen to anyone it finds. 3. Friendly reminder: it's not the only one, but just one in a group.]
[Attack Method/Special Ability:???]
[Solution:???]
[Notification progress: 40%]
Yu Xing glanced at it and instantly recognized it as Han Xinyi's corresponding ghost. Since the existing information could indeed support this conclusion, the system gave him the corresponding tourist as confirmed information.
But another piece of information on the notification caught Yu Xing's attention: the friendly reminder.
The Headless Man was not the only one.
In other words, in this ancient castle, the "Headless Man" is a type of ghost, and there are many of them, not just one.
Tsk tsk, isn't this cheating? It was supposed to be eight people and eight ghosts, but one ghost brought a whole bunch of companions and they're waiting for it.
He narrowed his eyes and peeked furtively at the Headless Man.
At this moment, the Headless Man was facing away from him, and Yu Xing looked at it more boldly. He saw that its walking posture was very strange, and each step was very crooked, as if the ground beneath its feet was not flat and open, but some kind of rugged and uneven place.
The Headless Man wandered around the bathroom, exploring every nook and cranny except for the central tub.
Yu Xing listened to its footsteps and quietly adjusted her position to ensure she wouldn't be discovered.
Zeng Lai, on the other side, breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he had finally hidden himself.
He didn't know what Xing's laughter meant, and because of the angle, he didn't see what Xing did while standing by the wardrobe. He only vaguely heard Xing say a few words to the middle-aged man.
The details were unclear, but Zeng Lai suddenly realized that Xing should know this man and that girl with the sweet smile.
However, none of that is the main point. The most urgent task is to evade the headless ghost's search.
However, what made people's faces turn grim was that the headless ghost seemed certain that someone was there, and kept wandering around aimlessly, refusing to leave.
The four people hiding behind the bathtub had to constantly adjust their positions without being discovered, and their hearts were pounding.
They quickly realized that this couldn't go on.
On several occasions, the Headless Man stood next to the bathtub, and if you were just a little taller, you could almost see the living person behind the bathtub.
It seems to have no intention of leaving, as if it's determined to linger here forever.
"No, it's too dangerous to stay here. We have to get out of here first." Zeng Lai mouthed to Huai, who was standing nearby, as he dodged the Headless Man was now right in front of him once again.
The two were only wrapped in bath towels and hadn't had time to change, but in a moment of crisis, they didn't care about being properly dressed.
Huai nodded, answering in the same way, "And Xing?"
Zeng Lai thought for a moment, "He saw us running away, he'll probably catch up."
The two reached an agreement, and in the blink of an eye, while the Headless Man was looking in Yu Xing's direction, they quickly and quietly slipped behind the bathtub, which was closer to the door.
The water mist provided some concealment, but it also left a thin layer of water on the ground, making it impossible to walk on it without making a sound.
Hysteria started following them at that moment.
He probably didn't time it well and was a bit too eager. Seeing that the two of them had moved, he also ran to the back of the next bathtub.
"Ah... who... who is it...!!" The Headless Man suddenly turned his head, his eyes wide open, his eyeballs almost falling out of their sockets, which was extremely terrifying.
It seemed to be in a constant state of rage, whether it was its initial howling or now that it had finally managed to utter some human language, its tone was mournful and shrill, like a final struggle before death.
It's not easy to hide two adult men in a bathtub, so although the hysteriac made a louder sound, the Headless Man noticed where Zeng Lai and Huai were. It stiffly stepped over, its head dangling beside it, swinging back and forth, as if it could break completely at any moment. If it approached purposefully, it would be almost inevitable that they would be seen.
Hearing the approaching footsteps, Zeng Lai gritted his teeth, stretched out his hand, and threw a die.
The dice rolled out in the mist, spinning on the ground for a while, until they rolled all the way to the front of the wardrobes, attracting the attention of the Headless Man.
"... Who is it?" it repeated, walking towards the wardrobe.
Now!
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zeng Lai and Huai quickly rushed out of the bathroom and successfully escaped.
Not to be outdone, Ye fled almost simultaneously. His leg was blocked by some debris, and in his panic, he kicked it, causing it to make a dull thud.
Yu Xing coldly watched the Headless Man roar angrily, then belatedly chased after the three men, stirring up a chilling wind.
For a brief moment, he, who hadn't had time to move, was actually safe.
Oh dear... isn't this a bit too much of a hysteria?
The attempt to attract ghosts to chase gamblers was far too obvious.
It seems that the hysteriac is indeed targeting Zeng Lai, but Yu Xing doesn't know why.
As he thought this, he peeked out from behind the bathtub and glanced at the dice that had stopped spinning.
Zeng Lai's dice were peculiar; the dots on each side were as red as blood. At this moment, the lone "one" was pointing upwards, as if foreshadowing some kind of Bad Luck.
The next moment, the dice disintegrated on the spot, scattering into a small handful of ashes.
Yu Xing whispered, "Looks like this is a sacrifice... Does the gambler know he threw out a one?"
That wasn't his concern for the time being. He didn't know if the Headless Man would come back, and in order to avoid being trapped in the enclosed space of the bathroom, he planned to leave as soon as possible.
At the bathroom door, Yu Xing seemed to sense something and turned around to look.
While everyone's attention was drawn to the Headless Man, no one noticed that the wardrobe had undergone a strange change.
The wood grain on the cabinet twisted and gradually formed a vague human face.
Dark red bloodstains seeped from the face. When Yu Xing turned around, the face twitched and put on a laughing expression.
It's like saying... Thank you for the lock, but why don't you come in yourself?
The notification from the ghosts hadn't been updated, Yu Xing smiled and ignored it.
Han Zhiyong was locked up and couldn't get out for the time being, while White Face hadn't left the cabinet either. Perhaps he was too timid, he thought for a moment and could only hope that the ghost in the cabinet would first target Han Zhiyong was having trouble getting out.
That's right, Yu Xing had already determined before the Headless Man arrived that the diviner entering the wardrobe would trigger an unknown ghost.
The bloodstains in the other unlocked wardrobes were a clue they had been given—a very clear clue.
--If you enter the cabinet, you will be attacked by ghosts, and in the end, only a pool of blood will remain, with no trace of your body.
Of course, under normal circumstances, the strategist wouldn't die so easily.
After all, with offerings by their side, they should have some ability to resist, unless they are unlucky and have no offerings to help them escape, and happen to encounter the ghost corresponding to them, making it impossible for them to resist.
Therefore, Yu Xing didn't think Han Zhiyong would die in the cabinet. He just thought that he could use up some of the opponent's offerings and props, cause some trouble for the opponent, and achieve his goal.
The only somewhat unexpected thing was that he hadn't anticipated that different kinds of ghosts would actually cooperate.
For example, the ghostly face in the closet can mimic Huang Bai's voice and lure the deducer into the closet in a panic by taking advantage of the arrival of the Headless Man, thus fulfilling the conditions for killing.
If Han Zhiyong and White Face try to pin the blame on Huang Bai later, Huang Bai will probably feel extremely wronged.
Yu Xing guessed that she still had no idea what had happened in the men's bathroom.
Han Zhiyong leaned against the cabinet, crossed his arms, and snorted coldly.
He felt he had made the right choice. After the ghosts outside arrived, they paid no attention to the wardrobes. He hid inside them as if he were in a safe house.
On the contrary, those who listened to Zeng Lai and did not hide in the closet are now experiencing fear and trepidation.
If the circumstances allowed, he would have loved to loudly mock Yu Xing— "You think listening to Zeng Lai is the right thing to do? You think you have the upper hand? You idiot."
Even if Yu Xing locks his cabinet door, it doesn't matter—he still has the ability to break down a door. As long as the ghost leaves, it will only take him a minute or two to get out.
Thinking about all this, Han Zhiyong felt increasingly relieved.
He strained his ears to listen, and finally heard hurried footsteps fading away. It seemed someone was running away, and the ghost was chasing after them.
For a moment, it was quiet outside; it seemed that everyone, whether human or ghost, had gone somewhere else.
Han Zhiyong pushed the door again, the wood rattling, the lock hanging on the outside, swaying with the movement of the door.
"Clatter, clatter..."
His hand paused.
No, this sound isn't just coming from the wooden door.
In the darkness, Han Zhiyong's hearing became even more acute. His hair stood on end as he discerned a chattering sound from the door knocking.
The key point is that he didn't have chattering teeth.
Who is that?
Using his heightened senses honed from raising ghosts, Han Zhiyong closed his eyes, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound. But as soon as he closed his eyes, a pair of icy hands covered them.
Do you have any shame?
A soft, almost inaudible voice sounded in his ear, very close, yet without a breath.
Clearly, this is something that is not breathing.
Han Zhiyong shuddered and reached out to pull those hands down, but when he did, he discovered that what was covering his eyes was not hands at all, but a membrane-like substance.
The voice then said, "Oh, I sensed it. You have the nerve to say that."
Suddenly, Han Zhiyong felt a sharp pain between his eyebrows.
A sharp object pierced the skin, not deeply, and then peeled away to both sides.
"Ah!!" The intense pain made Han Zhiyong scream. He frantically tore at the membrane covering his face, but because it was too slippery, he could only consciously feel the pain of his skin being peeled off.
"Oh shit..."
Where did this skinning demon come from!?
There was absolutely no warning beforehand!
He couldn't break free, and suddenly remembered Zeng Lai's words.
Is it really impossible to hide in the closet?
"Bang!"
Han Zhiyong kicked the cabinet door, causing it to shake, but it wouldn't open because of the lock.
"We can't leave now."
The gentle voice, tinged with amusement, ignited Han Zhiyong's anger.
If there's no danger, a lock means nothing.
But when possessed by a ghost, this lock could very well be the death of him!
He roared, "Yu Xing, you just wait!!"
A black, ghostly figure emerged from his body, and several wraiths with pained expressions screamed as they rushed onto his face, forcefully tearing off the thin membrane.
Han Zhiyong felt a relief on his face, immediately opened his eyes, and wiped his forehead, which was covered in blood.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
In that critical moment, Han Zhiyong ignored the pain and rammed his shoulder against the crack in the door. However, the wooden door of the wardrobe was really thick, and he couldn't see anything. He could only hear the ghost he had raised and the skinned ghost entangled together, emitting sharp hisses.
"Bang!"
Finally, the lock fell to the ground, and a bright light shone through. Han Zhiyong fell to the ground, gritting his teeth as he looked back.
Inside the open cabinet, a white "face" flew through the air, tearing at the ghost he had raised. Its face was ferocious, and its teeth were sharp and pointed. The sight of those teeth made his brow ache even more.
Having broken free from the cabinet, the pale-faced man glared at him angrily, then shook off the ghosts and disappeared into the wood.
The ghost dissipated, turning into a bead that rolled out and stopped at Han Zhiyong's feet.
The bead was covered in cracks, looking extremely fragile, as if it would shatter at the slightest touch. He frowned, picked it up, got up from the ground, and muttered a vulgar curse.
This was the offering that granted him the ability to raise ghosts, but the ghosts were not very powerful and were usually only used as reconnaissance tools.
Now... if he uses it for a little longer, he won't be able to use this bead again in this simulation.
He caught his breath, rubbed his swollen shoulder, and glanced at himself in the mirror.
A thin line of blood appeared between his eyebrows; presumably, without a sacrifice, his face would have been ripped off alive.
Han Zhiyong: "..."
Having been Yu Xing once, although he had long harbored the idea of killing Yu Xing, he was now even more resentful.
Yes, people on the Fallen Path are unreasonable.
He suppressed his nausea and discomfort, took clothes from the top shelf of his wardrobe, changed, and left the bathroom with a gloomy expression.
But whether it was Zeng Lai and the others or Han Zhiyong, they all forgot about the existence of one person.
White Face crossed his arms and squatted down in the limited space inside the cabinet, the mask on his face, which he had never thought of taking off.
Even though the cabinet next door was making such a loud noise, he didn't utter a sound.
Until a soft voice asked him in the darkness, "Do you have any shame?"