Alice's Hell (33) - Big Villain Yu

Five minutes ago.

"Smack!"

The black, ancient book, which was open in the man's hand, was grasped by the spine of a pale hand with distinct knuckles, and then the five fingers were put together and the book was easily closed.

"Are you crazy! Aren't you afraid of attracting your ghosts?!"

An anger flashed across his otherwise unremarkable face as he stared intently at the hand that was getting in his way.

This hand was slightly slender, with long and strong fingers, looking like the hand of someone who plays the piano or paints, exuding a bright artistic aura. Logically speaking, a person with such a hand should be as delicate and soft as a greenhouse flower, but in fact, it was unexpectedly strong, using only one hand to keep the book tightly closed, making it impossible to open.

The owner of this hand has a smile on his face, and his overall demeanor matches his hand; he looks like a pampered person who is not good at fighting.

The person who is not good at fighting is pressing the hysterical person against the bookshelf without any doubt. At this moment, one of them is leaning against the bookshelf in a sorry state, while the other is squatting calmly. The scene is confrontational and highlights the hostility between them.

His back was pressed against the horizontal bar of the bookshelf, and he knew without looking that his back was probably bruised by now.

Let me recommend a reading app I've been using recently. It has a wide selection of books, a comprehensive library, and updates quickly!

The young man in front of him squatted down. His black hair was short and choppy, and his upturned eyes revealed a hint of ruthlessness. He was about 1.85 meters tall, and even when he was squatting, he was still very big, almost blocking all of his escape routes.

The young man looked down at him, his aura inexplicably impossible to ignore. He laughed and said, "I'm not crazy, I'm perfectly normal."

The girl tried to resist, hoping to escape her helpless situation, but the young man pressed her back down. "What? You haven't answered my question yet, why are you in such a hurry to leave?"

Hysteriac: "... Lucky! You've only just met the gambler yourself, why are you interfering in our affairs!?"

"I have no intention of interfering in your affairs," Yu Xing raised an eyebrow. He looked exactly like a thug bullying an ordinary office worker, one hand gripping a black book, the other pressing on Yi's shoulder. "I like him, and I don't want him to die in the simulation I'm involved in. Is there a problem? Tell me quickly, where is he now?"

A pile of books was scattered on the ground around them, all of which had been accidentally swept off the bookshelves by the two of them when they started fighting.

Ye was somewhat helpless. His plan to kill Zeng Lai was almost successful, practically a done deal. He was in a very excited mood when this uninvited guest arrived.

Yes, he did indeed place an eye on Zeng Lai.

He had already placed an Abyssal Servant, a summon created by his sacrificial ability, on Zeng Lai when all the "tourists" had gathered outside the castle and Huai recognized Zeng Lai's identity.

This ability comes from the sacrificial offering [Abyssal Dictionary] that Hysteria retrieved after being beaten, which is the black-covered ancient book in her hand.

[Ability ① "Abyssal Servant": Read the summoning incantation from the first page of the dictionary. Summons an eye-shaped servant visible only to the summoner. The servant can choose to possess a target for the next six hours. The target's every action will be transmitted to the summoner. The servant disappears after six hours. During possession, the eye-shaped servant will continuously inflict Bad Luck on the target. This Bad Luck will also persist on the sacrifice holder. Can only be used once per game.]

With the help of this summoned creature, Zeng Lai's every move after entering the castle was under Ye's watchful eye.

He naturally knew that Zeng Lai was wary of him, and the strength of the person in front of him was far beyond what was simply a newly promoted Differentiation Tier.

Not only is the deductive logic excellent, but even explosive power seems to have been enhanced? Only physical strength is a weakness.

So, finding him is a lucky coincidence? It's not a good thing for him.

Fortunately, he came up without any politeness, asking directly like a thug, "Can you see where the gambler is right now? I won't argue with anything else, just tell me his location."

Hysteria would be very bad.

Is this the result of the Eyeball Servant's Bad Luck feeding back on himself?

But how did Xing know?

After Zeng Lai fell into the black hole, he lost all sources of information about Xing? He had no idea how much information Xing currently possessed.

For the plan to go smoothly, Hysteria decided to eliminate Sachi first, at least to deprive him of the ability to interfere with him.

As expected, he was no match for the seemingly frail young man. He was quickly subdued by Yu Xing, and the [Abyssal Dictionary] he had retrieved was held down by Yu Xing, preventing him from opening it. Yu Xing then pressed him, "So it was you who put something on him. Tell me the location."

Hysteria was both frightened and somewhat aggrieved.

Fortunately, his style has changed; the personality he showed in front of others before wasn't like this!

He's supposed to be very polite! What's this guy up to, pretending to be weak while actually being strong?!

Gambler Zeng Lai is now in dire straits, but thanks to the "eyes" that provided him with a lot of plot information, he has already deduced a great deal of the story and is determined not to let it all go to waste at this crucial moment!

"If you attack me, you'll attract your own ghost, and you won't survive either." The hysterical tone gradually calmed as he met Xing's dark eyes, trying to persuade her. "You've only met the gambler once; don't ruin yourself for him. I admit I've obtained a lot of valuable information. Actually, my biggest goal in this simulation is to kill him. Everything else, including the contribution to the simulation, I don't care about. I have no intention of harming anyone else. How about this: you don't interfere with me, and I'll share the information with you to increase your chances of survival, okay?"

"Not quite right." Yu Xing tilted his head, a cracking sound coming from the bones in his neck, making this man, who did indeed look somewhat dangerous, appear rather tyrannical.

He spoke as if he were threatening, yet also as if he were merely listing conditions and stating facts. "The rules stipulate that if the deducers fight, they will attract the corresponding ghost of the one who initiated the fight, but how to do so is not clearly stated."

Does fighting without drawing blood count as fighting? Does stabbing someone in the back count as fighting?

"Look, you didn't bleed, so my ghost didn't come, but you've been plotting against Zeng Lai for so long... and your ghost hasn't come either, has it?"

After saying this, Yu Xing pulled his hand back from the black-covered ancient book, snatched it away, and threw it a short distance away. Then, with his free hand, he grasped [Sheqing Dreamscape] and held the dagger to Ye's neck. "Or, you can guess whether I can cut off your head before my ghost arrives?"

With time running out, Yu Xing resorted to the most effective method available at the moment: intimidation.

With his extensive acting experience, playing a ruthless villain was a piece of cake for him. Moreover, his inconsistent behavior suggested some kind of madness was brewing within him. For a moment, Ye was unsure if he would be lucky enough to get away with it, so he decided to kill him even if it meant his own death.

She paused for a moment, then said, "I have two props, one for [good friends] and one for [defective products], or else..."

"No interest." Yu Xing interrupted him, feigning impatience. "If I ask again, it'll be the fourth time. Ugh, so annoying! If you don't tell me, I might as well just die."

Hysteria: "..."

Yu Xing calmly observed Ye's expression, and from the subtle changes in the other party's expression, she confirmed that the other party had probably compromised.

If someone harbors murderous intent towards another, they certainly won't compromise just because they're threatened. The main issue is that Yu Xing used a bit of finesse when she hit him earlier. Although she didn't even scrape off a single piece of skin, the inside was in excruciating pain.

However, since it was only painful and wouldn't be life-threatening or affect mobility, it wasn't judged as a malicious attack.

More importantly, judging from Zeng Lai's apparent aversion to hysteria and her seemingly unfamiliarity with it...

What grudge do you hold against that gambler senior?

Faced with Yu Xing's question, Ye's face darkened. "Ren Yi killed my sister."

Ren Yi again? Yu Xing feels this name appears quite often.

"Zeng Lai is Ren Yi's best friend. Ren Yi made me lose my sister, so I'll make him lose his friend!"

"I see." Yu Xing had no interest in the grudges between these four people; he had simply found a convincing reason. "In other words, Senior Gambler isn't your direct enemy. You want to kill Senior Gambler only because he's a friend of your enemy... So, it's not worth it for you to die with me for someone so insignificant, is it?"

Zeng Lai was described as "unimportant" by him, and after thinking about it, Ye actually felt that Yu Xing's statement made no problem.

He hasn't killed Ren Yi yet, so he can't let himself be dragged down to death by this seemingly insane guy, Xing, just to kill Zeng Lai.

So, facing the notorious villain Yu Xing, he reluctantly said, "I can tell you about Zeng Lai's situation, but he's in great danger right now. Even if you know what he's doing, you might not be able to save him."

Yu Xing's eyes crinkled into a smile, and she loosened her grip slightly. "Speak."

Hysteria can see Zeng Lai through the Eye Servant, recall the servant in advance, and even have a brief conversation with the possessed object through the manifested Eye Servant.

At that moment, he used the ability of [Abyssal Dictionary]② to share his vision with Yu Xing.

Zeng Lai was leaning against the door, lost in thought. Before her were the flames of burning yellow talismans, roses growing on both sides, darkness in the distance, and pale red nearby. The banging and crying behind her were extremely jarring. All these senses rushed towards Yu Xing like a tidal wave.

That place...

Yu Xing's eyes lit up.

Sure enough, he was right. Zeng Lai must have stumbled upon a place that required following the plot to reach, but because he hadn't completed the previous tasks, he was completely unaware of his current situation and had no way to deal with it.

Is the person banging on the door... the one crying and shouting?

Yu Xing knew that the screaming creature was the ghost corresponding to Zeng Lai, and he had also seen what the screaming creature looked like at the beginning. As the saying goes, those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly. He already had a general idea of the plot in his mind, and with the environment inside the tunnel, Yu Xing quickly came to a conclusion!

The Crying One wouldn't happen so coincidentally in a special place like the Rose Tunnel. In fact, Yu Xing felt that none of the tourists' corresponding ghosts could go there.

The one who cries out must still be wandering somewhere in the castle. The one that Zeng Lai sensed in the tunnel doesn't exist at all!

First, the place that requires the deducer to painstakingly uncover the plot to reach cannot be a dead end; there must be a chance of life there, and it is also the closest to the truth. Second, as Yu Xing initially guessed, the Crying One is the type that is not much of a threat in the early stages, but gradually grows into a terrifying ghost over time. This can be proven by the fact that the Crying One's mouth was sealed shut before, preventing it from making any noise.

How long has it been since they saw the crying person in the bedroom?

The simulation was supposed to last two days, but it's only been a few hours, and it's already reached its complete form amidst cries and screams. Does that make sense?

The Rose Tunnel is a special case and cannot be judged by the rules of the castle. In addition, Yu Xing knows Alice Yu Xing. Alice, this ghost, created two scenes, an amusement park and a castle, both of which revolve around the same theme: evil.

To be honest, the Alice series of deduction Yugi originated from a murder case committed by a girl known as the Ghost Faith in real life. It was initially a Mapping Deduction Game that reflected reality.

Alice's Park is newly established and its system is not yet perfect. Most of the various amusement projects make the participants "atone" through physical torture. Alice Castle, on the other hand, has been significantly upgraded. It knows how to use the participants' past experiences to create both physical and mental torture.

Regardless of the specifics, the ultimate goal of the Alice series should be... atonement.

Atonement...

A place closer to the truth...

Seeing that the yellow talisman on Zeng Lai's head, which was clearly protecting him, had burned out, Yu Xing chuckled and patted the idiot who was still being blocked by him against the bookshelf, "You can communicate, right? Tell him that opening the door will save him from death."

She looked at him suspiciously. "Why would opening the door allow me to live?"

"Stop talking nonsense and go tell me." Yu Xing's face darkened.

Actively withdrawing the eyeball servant, which was supposed to last for six hours, is a significant blow to Hysteria. When the servant is recalled, it will disintegrate and return through a small blood-red circle.

As the servants returned, the Bad Luck they brought to the target naturally dissipated. When the hysteriac relayed Yu Xing's words to Zeng Lai, Yu Xing noticed with sharp eyes that the dice Zeng Lai had just thrown, which should have landed on a two, flipped to a six at the last moment, as if it had been moved by something.

Zeng Lai was surrounded by pitiful cries and screams, and in a daze, he felt as if he had returned to the scene of that year.

Fortunately, he is no longer afraid of that construction worker.

Yu Xing's words made him think. Although it seemed that Yu Xing had only mentioned the current way out, Zeng Lai's keen insight in certain aspects was astonishing, as a smart and experienced star predictor.

He almost immediately recognized his mistake with just that one sentence, realizing what Yu Xing had been thinking.

"That's right, the Cryers couldn't have evolved that fast. I made a stupid mistake just now."

Zeng Lai picked up his dice, thinking to himself that a six was no joke; with this number, it seemed like everything had taken a turn for the better.

"I wrote it, thank goodness... tsk tsk tsk... if we both get out of here alive, you'll be my brother."

Taking a deep breath, Zeng Lai gripped the doorknob, pressed her wrist down, her eyes slightly serious, and slowly opened the door.

The cries and screams vanished in an instant, the door stopped shaking, and Zeng Lai's rapidly beating heart calmed down.

Behind the door was another tunnel.

Roses are in full bloom, but thorns are everywhere.

His inner demons, the moment the door opened, were reduced to an ordinary memory, no longer capable of stirring up any waves.

Zeng Lai murmured, "If this is a scene from a storyline, then there should be quite a few more challenges ahead."

I've reminded him once; I shouldn't have reminded him two or three times.

However, for Zeng Lai, one reminder was enough; his mindset shifted, and the road ahead was no longer a dead end.

He let out a long sigh of relief and walked deeper into the tunnel behind the door, a smile spreading across his face, "But now that Sachi knows where I am, she should find a chance to come down soon..."