Lu Mi was still too weak at that point, so he gave a slight nod to indicate that he didn't mind.
Ning Zhuangzhuang leaned over too. "What's so interesting?"
"People died for this information." Xu Zhi sighed and held up two fingers. "You must have heard the screams while we were cleaning earlier."
Ning Zhuangzhuang thought back. "I did. Two people died. Did they discover something?"
"One of the three people left is a girl who's new here. She saw Ghost Mom kill someone and was shaking nonstop from fear."
"I went to comfort her, and she told me that one of the people killed had opened a wardrobe in room 208, probably intending to wipe down the glass inside. Ghost Mom killed them. Before killing them, she gouged out their eyes."
A puzzled look crossed his face as he turned to Lu Mi.
"I wonder what's in that wardrobe that's so important... If Ghost Mom is that afraid of anyone finding it, maybe it's something that can keep her in check."
Lu Mi opened his mouth. Thinking he had something to say, Xu Zhi quickly fell silent to listen.
But Lu Mi merely yawned, looking utterly languid.
Xu Zhi's expression darkened, then he said with some regret, "I thought you'd be interested. It might have something to do with clearing the instance, after all."
With that, he left the sofa, saying he was going to look for clues so he wouldn't be trapped here forever.
Once he was far enough away, Ning Zhuangzhuang said, "See? I told you he was a good person. He even shared such an important clue with us."
"If we find the clues and clear the instance, wouldn't he benefit too?"
"So according to you, even sharing clues is wrong?" Ning Zhuangzhuang sounded displeased. "You don't know this, but Brother Xu was among the first people to enter the game. He's already cleared several instances. He'll probably be able to leave the game world for good soon."
Lu Mi didn't reply. He sank deep into the sofa to rest.
During the day, "Mom" appeared in various corners of the house from time to time, preparing for the so-called anniversary.
Whatever he needed to do would have to wait until night, when he could see whether an opportunity arose.
Dinner consisted of a few home-style dishes. Lu Mi counted the people around the table. Only six remained.
Only one girl, like him, wasn't wearing a wristband. She was probably the surviving newcomer Xu Zhi had mentioned. She hadn't eaten much before she put down her chopsticks and got up to leave.
"Xiao Xue, why don't you eat a little more?" Xu Zhi called after her.
The girl turned around, her face pale. "Brother Xu, I... I want to go back to my room and sleep early. I'm afraid Ghost Mom will check the rooms again tonight."
"You just need to be back in bed before she checks. There are still several hours left." Xu Zhi patted her shoulder sympathetically. "But it's perfectly understandable that you're nervous. So much has happened these past two days that's beyond what an ordinary person can bear."
At his words, Xiao Xue's eyes instantly reddened. "Brother Xu, I'm really scared. I miss home so much. Can I really go back?"
"You can. Of course you can. Have some more food. Soon you'll find that all of this was nothing but a dream."
Lu Mi silently picked up some greens with his chopsticks. There he goes again, spouting empty words. Who can guarantee Ghost Mom will check the rooms at midnight? What does he gain from making other people let their guard down?
That night, Lu Mi went upstairs early. The smell of blood still filled the hallway, and the players' bodies remained where they had fallen.
As he passed room 208, he cast an inconspicuous glance at it-
The door was tightly shut, with no nameplate hanging on it. It probably wasn't a room for players.
Back in his own room, Lu Mi went into the bathroom to shower. This time, he finished without turning into a cat.
Apparently, that wasn't what triggered the transformation.
He soaked his discarded clothes in water and casually wrapped a bath towel around his waist, planning to find a change of clothes in the bedroom wardrobe.
Drying his still-dripping hair, he pushed open the bathroom door, only to get a terrible fright at the sight of someone sitting on his bed-
"What are you doing here???" The guy hadn't shown up for most of the day, and Lu Mi had almost forgotten he existed.
The masked man sat cross-legged, radiating a chill, as though he'd just climbed in through the window.
When he saw Lu Mi, unmistakable disappointment appeared in his eyes. "Why haven't you turned into a cat yet? We had an agreement..."
"Who agreed to anything with you!? Get off!" Furious, Lu Mi grabbed a pillow and hurled it at him.
The masked man caught the pillow with one hand and obediently got off the bed. "All right, all right, I'm getting up. Why such a big reaction? What part of you haven't I seen? Ah, you really are cuter as a cat."
Lu Mi: ...
Forget it. There's no reasoning with an idiot.
The wardrobe was packed with clothes. Lu Mi wasn't someone who understood fashion, and besides, he'd lost all his memories. All he wanted from his clothes was simplicity and comfort.
Using those criteria, he took out a few outfits that looked like they would fit and tossed them onto the bed.
The masked man picked them up for a look. They were almost all black or white shirts and cargo pants. "These are all too ordinary. Why not wear something bolder?"
Remembering how the man was wrapped from head to toe in layers of dark fabric, without even openly showing his face, Lu Mi shot back, "And you dress boldly, do you?"
He kept rummaging through the wardrobe. After a while, he realized the person behind him had gone unusually quiet.
When he looked back, the man had lowered his eyes and actually looked a little pitiful.
Was he forced to dress like that? Or did he have some serious physical defect he needed to hide?
"What's your name?" Lu Mi asked as he pulled on his clothes and gestured for him to sit down.
The masked man blinked. "Roman."
"Roman," Lu Mi asked hesitantly, "do you... have some kind of religious belief?"
Roman said softly, "No. The reason I dress like this is..."
Lu Mi was listening closely when a dark blur flashed before his eyes, and he felt something settle on his head.
Meanwhile, the guy had apparently done something and was grinning like a little bastard. "It suits you."
Without a word, Lu Mi ran into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. He nearly coughed up blood from sheer anger: a black cat-ear headband of unknown origin was perched upright on his head!
"You like playing around, huh? I don't have time. Go be an asshole to someone else." Lu Mi yanked off the headband, grabbed Roman by the hair, and started dragging him out of the room.
Roman grimaced and yelled, but Lu Mi ignored him completely.
Before Lu Mi's hand reached the doorknob, however, he heard a faint, strange sound outside. It seemed to be...
"Ow, ow, let go, let-"
Expressionless, Lu Mi kicked the man beside him. As he released his hair, he wanted to threaten him into shutting up, but couldn't think of anything, so he settled for:
"Make any more noise and you'll never get to cuddle the cat again."
Those words worked a hundred times better than Lu Mi had imagined. Roman fell silent and leaned against the wall, watching him with a smile.
The man before him had just showered, and a few droplets of water still clung to his forehead. They stood mere inches apart, with the faint scent of body wash lingering between them.
Lu Mi pressed his ear to the door to hear more clearly.
The sound continued. "Squelch-squelch-"
Again and again, just a few seconds apart, as though...
Lu Mi's expression changed abruptly. He grabbed Roman's arm and pulled him several steps back.
They lowered their heads and saw a thick red liquid seeping through the gap beneath the door.
Before you continue