After nearly all the players had finished reading the game rules, the Ghost Creatures still sitting in the Lobby eating breakfast suddenly let out all manner of eerie laughter.
Some of their laughter was low and grating, as though it came from the depths of hell. Other Ghost Creatures let out shrill, piercing giggles, like rusty nails scraping across a blackboard. Still others chuckled under their breath, as though they had foreseen what was about to happen.
The laughter intertwined into spine-chilling notes. To the players, it felt as though countless icy hands were stroking their spines, making everyone's hair stand on end.
A sinister atmosphere shrouded the entire Lobby, and the air still carried the suffocating stench of decay.
At that moment, Tan Ying and Li Feiwen exchanged a glance. Both seemed to have noticed the danger hidden in the treasure hunt's rules.
Li Feiwen silently mouthed a few words to Tan Ying, and she gave a slight nod.
The two had worked together in other games before. They knew something of each other's abilities and had a better understanding than the other players, who were strangers to one another.
After they agreed on a course of action, Tan Ying smoothed her red-highlighted bangs with a show of composure and edged a few steps toward the stairs. Once she was certain the staircase was directly behind her, she activated her ability.
Shadow!
Under the Lobby's lights, the shadow beneath Tan Ying's feet suddenly spread outward like a pool of black liquid, swiftly connecting with the shadows of the surrounding players. But when her shadow tried to touch Su Bai's, it could not connect with his no matter what she did. Even the shadow of Wu Heng, who stood beside Su Bai, had already been linked to hers, yet Su