Alice's Hell (21) - Hostile Mission

At the same time, a monotonous broadcast rang out from all over the castle.

The broadcast content was similar to what Yu Xing had heard, except for some new wording added at the end.

"The vandal is currently inside the sculpture exhibition hall. We hope all visitors will actively participate in its capture. Alice will be furious if we let this troublemaker escape. However, Alice doesn't know who committed the vandalism yet. She used the hall's lights to leave a sculptural mark on the culprit, which will only last for thirty minutes. So first, visitors need to identify the culprit, find the sculptural mark on the culprit, and hand the culprit over to the butler."

Visitors who make contributions will receive generous rewards, making this a memorable experience during their visit to the amusement park. We wish all visitors a wonderful time.

Huai's face showed a hint of surprise. He withdrew his hand, which was about to push open the ornate railing in front of him, and asked with some doubt, "The sculpture exhibition hall, isn't that the area outside our bedroom window? Has someone found the way down?"

At this moment, he had a pair of silver-rimmed glasses on his nose. Thanks to this auxiliary offering, he was able to find the hidden door in the wall and discover the corridor leading to the annex.

There was a railing gate in front of the corridor, through which he could see the clean and tidy state of the corridor.

Hearing his question, a female voice chimed in, "Not only that, it even triggered a quest! Whether this person did it intentionally or unintentionally, they seem to have gotten themselves into some trouble... Should we go and join the fun?"

"But we don't know the way to the sculpture museum. We haven't focused on that area before, and looking for it now might just be a waste of time." Huai gave up without much hesitation. Even though they were on the second floor and it seemed close to the first floor, getting down to the sculpture museum would actually involve a lot of detours and going up and down countless times.

At this point, he glanced helplessly at Huang Bai beside him, then turned his head away with a look of utter despair. "Besides... your current state isn't suitable for doing anything."

Huang Bai was draped in a bed sheet with a picture of a beautiful girl printed on it.

There was only one bed sheet.

She was wrapping a sheet over her shoulders and holding it in place with both hands, making her look like a dumpling. Not even one extra hand could be stretched out, let alone carry out an "arrest" activity.

"That's true." Huang Bai glanced down at himself and chuckled.

This is her sacrifice [The Stealing Bell]. Once she puts it on, she can use her powers. As long as she doesn't make a sound, no one can find her; it's like an invisibility cloak.

Better than an invisibility cloak, it can also conceal one's aura and is linked to Huang Bai's will. As long as Huang Bai firmly believes that he "will not be discovered," the effect of concealing his tracks will be even stronger.

When the two found the corridor leading to the annex, the system prompted them to look for the key, which was hanging on... the belt of a huge, physical ghost called a Corpse Researcher.

Judging from the size of that monster and its terrifyingly sharp pipe weapons, there is probably nothing in the entire castle that can stand up to it head-on—except for the big boss Alice has yet to reveal her ghostly side.

Of course, neither of them would be foolish enough to confront it head-on. In fact, after triggering the ghost notification from the Corpse Researcher, they were already wondering which pervert had created such a terrifying thing.

In order to obtain the key, Huang Bai donned the [Stealing Bell] costume and used another offering that helped to erase traces, the [Ordinary Eraser]. Under the cover of Huai's green snake, he managed to steal the key without any serious danger.

Huang Bai with fright. Fortunately, the railing door in the corridor was able to be opened.

However, the sacrifice of [The Stealing Bell] has a very unpleasant side effect: after using the powerful concealment ability, the user will only be wearing this bed sheet and will be unable to wear any other clothing for twenty minutes.

If you want to wear other clothes, those clothes will be stolen by [The Stealing Bell] and disappear without a trace until the duration ends, at which point they will reappear on the user.

Huang Bai's Alice's Hell Hoodie and pants were also stolen, so... she can only wander around wrapped in a bed sheet now.

Fortunately, the bed sheet was big and thick enough that Huang Bai was essentially wearing a large cloak. She wasn't embarrassed at all, and even her every move still carried her usual boldness. It was just a pity for Huai, who, after taking the key and opening the door, barely dared to look in Huang Bai's direction.

"Then let's go to the annex, hehe. Actually, it's better not to go. My woman's intuition tells me that the hostile mission might have been triggered by that lucky guy~ If we don't go, there won't be any conflict!" Huang Bai nudged Huai with his elbow, which was covered by the bed sheet, signaling him to push open the railing door.

Huai Xin said, "A woman's intuition? I don't believe you for a second!"

He realized that Huang Bai's strength far exceeded his expectations, but he didn't know why Huang Bai wasn't famous or a star predictor.

If she says the mission was triggered by chance, it might mean she has some means to confirm it.

Huai silently cheered for Yu Xing. He didn't feel anything about Alice joining the battlefield early. It was just another more terrifying wandering ghost. After facing the Corpse Researcher up close, other ghosts would hardly put too much psychological pressure on him in the short term.

"Okay, let's go." Huai slightly turned his head to avoid Huang Bai, and thought as he pushed open the railing gate—if he and Huang Bai could both survive to finish this simulation, he wouldn't upload the video to the paid area.

Firstly, he could tell that Xing seemed to be hiding something that was inconvenient to be exposed in the video.

Secondly... releasing the video wouldn't be good for Huang Bai, a girl.

The two figures disappeared down the corridor, completely ignoring the incessant broadcast that repeated its content twice more.

[You have triggered Side Quest]

[Side Quest: Because you and the Abandoned Defective Product destroyed artwork in the venue, a temporary alarm has been triggered, and a hostile mission with a 30-minute time limit has begun.]

[The defective item has now escaped, leaving you alone to accept this mission. A black sculpted mark has been imprinted on the back of your neck, lasting for thirty minutes. The enemy will use this to confirm your identity as the saboteur.]

[Opponents: You vs. Other players entering the arena]

[No mandatory stance; the system will score this task based on the consequences of your choices, and the task score will affect the task rewards.]

[Newbie Tip: Side Quest ratings are: More trouble than good, mediocre, brilliant execution, under control, and exceeds expectations]

[Note: Within half an hour, attacks between opposing missions within this venue will not attract their respective ghosts.]

The sculpture exhibition hall was quite large. After an alarm sounded from the mechanical lights, a gray fog enveloped the hall, obscuring the view from the second and third floors and blocking Yu Xing's way out.

Immediately afterwards, a series of system notifications rang in Yu Xing's mind.

This seemed to be Side Quest setting in the Differentiation Tier deduction. Yu Xing glanced through it, touched his neck, and was fairly satisfied with the content, especially the last one... it was simply a godsend.

I told you, causing trouble always pays off!

A gray fog hung overhead, and in its center was a giant countdown timer composed of soft light, starting at thirty minutes and accurate to the second. It was visible to everyone standing inside the venue.

At this moment, two minutes had passed on the countdown. Yu Xing didn't know how the people outside would receive this task, so he didn't care at all. He squatted down next to the remains of the female statue, holding a stone in each hand, and tried to put the female statue together like a kindergarten child doing a jigsaw puzzle.

He had already reviewed the new contents of the ghost notice and had a general understanding of the defective product.

[Goblin 1: The Abandoned Defective Product]

[Corresponding tourist:???]

[Description/Source: 1. An invisible resentment transforms a defective item into a vengeful spirit capable of possessing any stone statue. However, it is destined to be ugly; no matter how perfect the artwork it possesses, the artwork will be riddled with cracks and utterly destroyed. 2.???]

[Attack Method/Special Ability: 1. Possess a sculpture to perform physical attacks.]

[Solution:???]

[Notification progress: 40%]

"You're the one who smashed it, right? Why should I take the blame...?" Yu Xing muttered to herself as she pieced it back together.

Even so, the fact that the uninformed strategists around him were coming to arrest him gave him a great opportunity... but if Han Xinyi and Han Zhiyong weren't among those who came, then it would still be a loss.

If the others fail to catch him, Alice will join the monsters' camp prematurely, which is not good news for him, Zeng Lai, Huai, and the others.

After catching him, they had to hand him over to the butler...

Yu Xing finished piecing together the female statue's belly part and squinted at it.

He certainly didn't intend to piece the statue back together, then take it to the butler and say, "Look, you've caught the murderer, and he just smashed it into pieces. You can keep it as is."

Forget about whether the butler will tell him to get lost; the tasks issued by the system alone have already sealed the fate of both sides.

That [Abandoned Defective Product] ran away after destroying things, leaving him to take all the blame. He thought to himself that once he found out who the ghost came from, he would beat that person up.

The reason he was piecing together the fragments was that he wanted to confirm whether the baby inside the female statue's belly belonged to this statue or to the [abandoned defective product] itself.

He listened to the baby crying and felt that the crying was even more powerful than the entire stone statue.

Therefore, he had a guess that the "baby" might be the real entity, that is, the outward manifestation of the possessing vengeful spirit.

The results of their work confirmed his guess.

The female statue's belly is flat, without any gaps.

Sure enough, the thing inside the stomach appeared on the stone statue only after it was possessed by the defective product!

So... this means that the defective item could sense what was happening around it, so when it was about to approach the female statue, it possessed it in advance, waiting for it to get close so it could attack it.

"Zila--"

Suddenly, an extra sound appeared in front of her. Yu Xing stood up and quickly hid behind a burly winged statue, looking up.

The sculpture exhibition hall not only has an open-air exhibition area, but also has a door on each side of the wall leading to a ring of indoor areas outside the open-air area, which contains studios for sculpting, as well as toilets, changing rooms and other places.

This sudden hostile mission included sealing off the area, including these rooms. This meant that Yu Xing could stay in the open-air venue or hide in the surrounding rooms.

Now, the postmodern mechanical door in front of Yu Xing has been opened.

A slender hand covered the door, and then a smiling face appeared in Yu Xing's field of vision. His eyes lit up, and he thought to himself that he was really lucky today, that everything he wanted came true.

He had thought that even if someone came, it would take some time to find the way here, but now it seemed that Han Xinyi had probably already found the way and came directly after receiving the mission.

Is anyone there?

Han Xinyi's sweet voice rang out. She seemed completely unaware of the dangers brought by hostility, like a sheep that had strayed into a wolf's den, searching for a shepherd to find peace of mind.

Just hearing it makes you want to go out immediately and tell her, "I'm here."

A glint of surprise flashed in Yu Xing's eyes.

Based on her behavior in the Throat Cutting Case, this member of Single Prism is most skilled at suggestion, emotional manipulation, and mind control. Every word she says, even every action and expression, has a power to pull people's hearts. Otherwise, the victims would not have so easily agreed to go to a remote place, and Yu Jiaming, Gao Chang'an, and others would not have been completely without suspicion of her.

Now that the attacks from both sides wouldn't attract deadly ghosts, Han Xinyi was relieved of any worries and increased the intensity of her use of this ability.

Therefore, even Yu Xing, was momentarily dazed, and then clicked her tongue in annoyance.

Han Xinyi is here. Will Han Zhiyong be nearby?

He placed something down where he was, and then, using the overlapping sculptures as cover, shifted his position to a less noticeable spot.

"Hello? Please don't be afraid, I'm here to ask about the situation." By the door, Han Xinyi opened her beautiful big eyes. After hearing her own voice echo in the empty hall without any response, she smiled and closed the door behind her.

Han Xinyi slowly walked among the sculptures, her eyes darting around, constantly searching for any sign of life in the strangely shaped stone statues. "It's like this, I'm nearby, I heard the broadcast, and I wanted to ask how you are doing? Whoever you are, please listen to me—"

She held a knife in her hand, her fingers loosely gripping the handle. The blade was concealed inside her hoodie sleeve; with just a slight shake, the knife would reveal its menacing edge.

She moved with a light step, even sticking her head into the large vat held by the stone statue to look inside, looking like an innocent young girl. "We are not necessarily enemies. In fact, we tourists are at a disadvantage in this scenario. To maximize our chances of survival, we must help each other."

Strands of black hair brushed against the smooth surface of the stone statue, sliding down amidst the intricate carvings. The girl's voice was calm and kind, even tinged with a hint of vulnerability, making it easy to believe. "We can't be misled by Alice's rules; we should see the essence. Alice is inciting everyone to oppose each other. This way, fewer and fewer people will remain, and she, as the BOSS, will become even more unscrupulous. Those who remain will definitely not have an easy time."

Putting aside the sacrificial knife she carried in her sleeve, which had slit the throats of several people, what she said actually made a lot of sense.

Under the current rules, both cooperation and confrontation offer a chance to survive.

Thump.

A soft sound.

Han Xinyi paused, her beautiful eyes sharply looking towards the source of the sound, only to see a very large stone statue.

The stone statue is a man, seemingly with some mythological elements. The man is bare-chested, and a pair of huge wings spread out from his back, covering a large area of space.

A flicker of excitement crossed her eyes, but her tone remained impassive, tinged with concern as she asked, "Is it you? I hope you'll consider what I said. Before the others arrive, let's discuss how to safely navigate this hostile mission."

After another silence, a calm yet wary voice came from the direction of the stone statue. "Alright."

Han Xinyi's eyes lit up; that voice... sounded a lot like Huai's.

She still remembered what Huai, the celebrity predictor, looked like; handsome was more than enough, and killing him... perfectly matched her aesthetic, didn't it?

She moved towards the winged stone statue, a smile playing on her lips, further intensifying her emotional pull. "I'm here?"

"I hope you won't go back on your word." The voice from behind the statue sounded slightly muffled, as if the speaker was wearing a mask.

"No, please believe me." While reassuring her, Han Xinyi turned around and saw a shadow on the ground that didn't belong to the statue.

Without hesitation, she gripped the throat-slitting knife and swiftly slashed out!

She knew Huai to some extent. The Huai in the video was proud and not the type to panic when faced with a problem. Therefore, the other party must have been standing while hiding behind the statue for ease of movement!

This strike was precisely aimed at the height of Huai's neck, as she had calculated. If all went well, even if it didn't succeed on the first strike, it would certainly inflict a serious cut on Huai.

But... she missed.

It wasn't the kind of small, accidental puncture that resulted in a hole; the entire area behind the statue was completely empty—there was no one there at all!

Han Xinyi looked at the ground in astonishment. The only proof that someone had once stood there was the blonde doll lying on the ground.

The shadow she had just seen came from this doll, which made her think that Huai was behind the stone statue; otherwise, she wouldn't have acted so decisively with her knife.

So... Huai had actually discovered her intentions long ago, but was just stalling for time?

Han Xinyi let out a cold laugh, her fingertips tracing the blade. A scratch appeared on her delicate skin, but she was completely unaware and didn't care at all.

She decided to use stronger language to find the people who were hiding.

But before she could open her mouth, the blonde doll on the ground, with its blurred, pixelated features, opened its mouth first.