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The village chief, who led the group that had left their homes, explained: “At the end of last year, Waldo suddenly became angry. He said, ‘Why can’t we stand this poverty? Let’s sell a buffalo and go to the district to find a feng shui master to change the village’s fortune.’ He left for a few days, and when he returned, he was as happy as if he’d struck gold. The family took a shovel, and following Waldo’s words, they dug up a coffin. Sure enough, there was a lot of precious jewelry buried inside, but that’s when disaster struck. Who would have thought that digging up fortune would bring a curse on the village?”
According to the village chief, the village has been haunted by a huge evil spirit every night, killing people everywhere. The source of this bloodshed began late last year, when the villagers excavated an ancient coffin.
The coffin had been buried deep underground for a very long time but was still shiny as new. At the foot of the coffin was a round jade plate, encircled by golden amulets.
At first, the villagers thought the feng shui master had tricked the middle-aged man into selling his buffalo, but there really was an ancient coffin that looked brand new, as if it had just been buried yesterday. After the villagers listened to him and held ceremonies and made offerings, the sight of so much burial jewelry dazzled them.
The deceased was probably a wealthy aristocrat, still very young.
An inscription on the underside of the coffin lid recorded that a young girl surnamed Byrne died tragically in the wedding hall. Her father wished for her soul to rest in peace and bribed the devil to ensure her safe passage to the river of the dead.
Next to the girl’s body were piles of burial jewelry. Greed overtook the villagers, and they divided up all the treasures to sell. Someone noticed she was holding a jewel in her mouth and dared to steal it—this action, unexpectedly, awoke the girl’s spirit.
The girl’s soul became enraged over the theft. Each nightfall, she would wander the village knocking on doors to reclaim her treasures. But the villagers were poor—after selling the jewelry, each person only received enough to buy food, livestock, or repair their homes. Now, there was nothing to return, so the girl wanted them to pay with their lives.
Terrified, the villagers gathered to consult with the chief. In the end, everyone pooled their money to invite an exorcist.
After inspecting the coffin, the exorcist instructed them to grind the girl’s pinky bone into fine powder, mix it with black dog’s blood, and mark an odd number on each door with the mixture.
Any house that was thus protected became a safe house, able to keep the girl’s spirit out at night. However, one crucial rule had to be followed: the number on the door must match the number of people inside. If the population exceeded the number, the safe house would immediately lose its protection.
Hearing that this village was haunted by a demon, and remembering that the side mission also mentioned demons, everyone’s faces turned ashen.
The village chief told them they’d come at a bad time—dusk, when darkness was about to fall. Darkness was when the ghosts appeared. Only when the sun was shining was it safe. Soon, night would descend, and a b****y veil of murder would cover the village.
After the village chief finished, Beatrix Henry suddenly asked, “You said the body’s mouth was still full—which means it hadn’t decomposed?”
The village chief nodded. “That’s right. At the time, we were only interested in the burial jewelry and overlooked something important. When we sold the jewelry, it had been over a hundred years since the girl died—so why was the body still intact?”
Phedra Henry also asked, “Weren’t the antiques sellable?”
The village chief sighed heavily. “That sly merchant saw we were country folk and came up with all sorts of ways to drive the prices down. In the end, we couldn’t sell much.”
Phedra Henry and Beatrix Henry exchanged glances. Beatrix lowered his voice, “When I entered the village, I saw numbers on the doors of the safe houses. If that’s true, there will be chaos in the next five minutes. Stay close to me. Try not to argue with anyone.”
Phedra Henry nodded solemnly.
He recalled that when entering the village, he’d noticed numbers written on the doors, though he hadn’t understood their purpose until now.
But there was a serious problem here.
There were about fifty houses in the village. Although each had a number on its door, outsiders like the players hadn’t been considered, so the villagers only numbered the doors based on their own family size.
There were ten exceptions: six houses with the number nine, three with seven, and one with five. The total number of players here was one hundred, but there were only ten safe houses. That meant only eighty people could be accommodated—and there were already villagers living in these houses. For example, a house marked “five” but already containing two villagers could only take in three more people. If the number was exceeded, the protection would vanish.
So, out of more than a hundred people, less than eighty would have a chance to survive.
Of course, Phedra Henry and Beatrix Henry weren’t the only ones to realize the severity of the situation.
Many of the newcomers noticed the numbers on the doors, and the three older players did as well.
No one wanted to become the unlucky ones who would be torn apart by the spirit.
The atmosphere immediately changed. All eyes were now focused on the houses with higher numbers.
[Team: Beatrix Henry has set the destination—left, ten meters away.]
Beatrix Henry: The house on the left is marked “seven.” I’ll go ahead and check how many people are inside, then we’ll enter.
Phedra Henry understood why Beatrix was so organized. With his power and props as No. 3, he should go last and control the number of people entering the house.
The village chief pointed to each large-numbered house, instructing, “You all divide yourselves up. Move quickly—it’s getting late, and you must be inside before night falls. Knock on the door and tell them you’re new arrivals to the village.”
As soon as the village chief left for his house, cane in hand, everyone in the yard immediately became wary, watching one another. Their faces were full of caution.
Someone asked, “How are we dividing up?”
No answer.
“Has anyone seen No. 3?”
A few nervous glances searched for Beatrix Henry’s figure. In difficult times, people tend to look to the strong for a sense of security.
Compared to the clueless newcomers, No. 3 was powerful. If he was willing to help or take the lead…
While everyone was distracted, Phedra Henry and Beatrix Henry quietly moved to the front of the marked house.
Phedra Henry whispered, “What now? Knock or just open the door?”
[Team: Beatrix Henry shares an A-level prop with you—The All-round Key. Usage: 1/1.]
After the official start of the game, players can’t give or trade props, only lend them—each use is counted.
Like a disposable item.
Beatrix Henry stood right behind Phedra, using his tall frame to shield him. “They’re looking for me. Go ahead, open it.”
Hundreds of anxious eyes in the yard, and the tension in the air, were growing heavier.
But so far, everyone stood still. Everyone knew that if anyone made a move, the fragile calm would shatter. Like in the main hall, a bell would ring to break the deadlock, and the scramble for survival would erupt.
Don’t underestimate the person next to you just because they look weak—when it comes to survival, people are capable of anything.
And now, the comment section for this “hot debate” was about to explode.
- Writer
