Welcome to the Nightmare Live - CH 44

Chapter 44: “It can’t go on like this.”

At this moment, a familiar mechanical voice sounded in his ears, pulling Wen Jianyan back from his subtle emotions:

【Congratulations to the anchor for triggering the scene: Memory Kill】

【Asking the anchor to reproduce the events that happened in 1304.】

What happened in 1304… Wasn’t it the collective poisoning death of a family of four?!

Wen Jianyan: “……”

Fuck you.

What a rubbish task!

If it’s truly reproduced, won’t I also be dead?

Seeing that Wen Jianyan hadn’t moved his chopsticks for a long time, the paper figurine leaned down. Its pale face approached, and it looked at the human face in front of itself carefully, its voice still as gentle as water:

“Xiuqing, what’s wrong? Don’t have an appetite?”

The two paper children also approached, and one of them grabbed Wen Jianyan’s arm. Their fingers were cold and stiff, as if they were iron hoops, tightly clasping the young man’s arm, making him unable to break free.

“Dad, what’s the matter, don’t you like the meal today?”

They raised their heads and stared at Wen Jianyan with those painted, lifeless eyes; the smile on their lips was bright and affectionate.

Wen Jianyan took a deep breath and calmed down.

He raised his eyes and looked at the paper figurine wife in front of him, with a skillful smile on his lips: “Thank you, dear, you have worked hard.”

He did not forget that this instance was a role-playing, time-limited instance.

Although Wen Jianyan didn’t know much about the C-level and above instances, based on the information he had learned in the anchor hall before, he had some vague guesses about the inner working rules of this instance.

At least, in this case, he must maintain the status of “husband” to survive.

“Darling, the food you cook is so delicious, it’s a bit too much for me to eat alone.”

Wen Jianyan’s palms were sweating because of nervousness, but the expression on his face is still gentle and natural. The corners of his lips were slightly raised with a little bit of a doting smile.

The three paper figurines in front of him were motionless, and the expressions on their faces did not change in the slightest. They still looked very creepy and terrifying, but their smiles seemed to become even brighter:

“Honey, you are right; of course, the whole family has to eat dinner together.”

The woman turned to look at the other two paper children: “Quick, sit down, let’s eat with Dad.”

“No, I mean…”

Wen Jianyan changed his words: “We haven’t called mom over yet.”

As soon as these words came out, the three paper figures turned their heads instantly and looked straight in his direction.

According to the information provided by the neighbor, the mother of the family lived opposite, and she was the one who found the bodies, becoming insane because of it.

She was the only survivor of the family.

“The whole family has to eat dinner together, right?”

Wen Jianyan held his breath slightly; the muscles of his body subconsciously tensed, and he nervously waited for the other party’s answer – he was already prepared to use the props immediately in case something happened.

“Xiuqing, you are right.”

The paper figurine smiled broadly: “Mom hasn’t come yet.”

“Look, I forgot.”

The two paper children slowly let go of Wen Jianyan’s arms, still with pale and stiff smiles on their faces, but their eyes were full of anticipation: “Dad, let’s go and call grandma over for dinner.”

Wen Jianyan lowered his eyes and rubbed the paper children’s hair dotingly:

“Okay, I’ll go right now.”

The paper figurine’s head was very hard to the touch, and under his movements, there was a rustling sound of paper rubbing, giving him goosebumps all over.

Wen Jianyan quickly retracted his hand and walked toward the door.

His pace was very steady, neither fast nor slow, and there was no trace of escaping at all.

It wasn’t until the door behind him was closed, blocking the three paper figures who were staring at him with a smile, Wen Jianyan jumped up as if his butt was on fire, and rushed straight toward the elevator vigorously—

In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:

[Hahahahahaha, the classic skill of running away if you can’t win is online again!]

[The first task of the paranormal investigator is really difficult. It is basically opening the door to death. Even if one is lucky enough to survive the first level and enter the hidden branch, because there is too little information on the ID card and the time is too tight, it is very difficult to find a way to crack it.]

[Yes, based on my experience of watching the instance “Antai Community” so many times, the anchors who survived the first main task basically relied on props to break through the level violently. I remember that the price of that prop was quite high.]

[That’s right, it can only be unlocked in a C-level system store. I remember that the anchor was just D-level, right?]

[Hahahahahaha yes, the dog liar is finished.]

[But not necessarily. I remember that some anchors had also figured out the correct solution before. So far, it was similar to the route taken by those anchors. Let’s continue watching, I think he might be fine!]

The dark corridor stretched far and wide, with no end in sight.

In the dark corridor ahead, a little light slowly appeared.

Wen Jianyan subconsciously increased his speed.

However, it was not the stairwell or the elevator that appeared in front of him. On the contrary, the door panel marked 1304 appeared in front of Wen Jianyan again.

Damn, he was going in circles.

Wen Jianyan stopped. Although it was expected, he still sighed regretfully.

No wonder the three paper figurines didn’t mind him leaving the room at all. It turned out that he couldn’t escape.

But, man, you still have to try it, right?

Wen Jianyan glanced at household number 1304, and thinking of the three paper figurines who were staring at the door, he couldn’t help shrinking his shoulders and shivering.

It seemed…

He now only had the option of calling his mother.

Wen Jianyan drew back his gaze and took a deep breath. Then he tentatively raised his hand and pushed open the door of 1326 opposite.

The unlocked door panel slowly slid inward, and a strong smell of incense smoke rushed toward his face. The light in the room was extremely dim, and the living room was full of clutter, making it almost impossible to walk.

“……Mom?”

He called out in a low voice.

“Xiuqing, is that you?”

A hoarse and old voice sounded from the depths of the room: “Mom is here.”

Wen Jianyan carefully stepped over the clutter on the ground and walked in the direction from which the voice came.

Deep in the room, an identical shrine was hidden in the darkness. The electronic candles flickered with a faint red light, coating the narrow space with a faint reddish light.

An old woman was kneeling in front of the shrine, seemingly bowing down to the Bodhisattva.

She heard Wen Jianyan’s footsteps and turned to look over.

The faint, dim light smeared on the side of her old face, like a wrinkled old walnut. She seemed to have trouble seeing things clearly and was squinting at Wen Jianyan at the moment.

She was actually…not a paper figure?

Wen Jianyan was taken aback.

Although the light was dim, it could still be seen that the old woman in front of him was a real human, not a pale and stiff cardboard shell.

“Mom, it’s time to eat.”

Wen Jianyan said tentatively.

“Is that so? Okay, I’m coming.” The old woman trembled and stretched out her hand to Wen Jianyan: “Xiuqing, help your mother, mother’s legs are numb.”

Wen Jianyan took two steps forward.

Only then did he clearly see that the lower body of the other party kneeling on the futon was wearing black paper pants and simple paper shoes, and the skin exposed from the gap between the shoes and socks showed a rough texture like paper under the light.

Wen Jianyan suddenly realized.

The other party’s waist and below have completely turned into paper. Although the upper body had not changed, it was probably not far from completely turning into a paper figure.

He lifted the old woman up.

The other party’s body was very light. Although she leaned firmly against his arms, Wen Jianyan could not feel the slightest weight, as if he could lift the other party with one hand.

The old woman narrowed her eyes, patted Wen Jianyan’s chest with her old, wrinkled, tree-bark-like hands, and said:

“Xiuqing, let’s go. Mom happens to be hungry too.”

The audience in the “Integrity First” live broadcast room had begun to cheer and celebrate:

[Oh, oh, oh yeah! I didn’t expect the anchor to really unlock the correct route!]

[Hahahahaha, I know that this liar’s brain is really good. Unlike other anchors who had the ID card of the paranormal investigator before, he has already obtained a lot of information about 1304 by cheating. It is reasonable for him to be able to think of this approach.]

[?? I haven’t seen the instance of “Antai Community” before, I beg you to answer!]

[The task’s name is “Memory kill”. Actually, it means killing people based on memory. Four people have died here before, and as long as four people are killed this time, whether it is the husband or the mother, the problem will be solved. As long as the mother eats the poison first, this hidden route will be completed.]

[Oh, oh, I got it! Indeed, as long as there is enough information, it’s quite easy to figure out the correct answer!]

At this moment, the door behind him made a creaking sound, opening slowly.

Wen Jianyan was so frightened that his shoulders shook, and he turned his head to look subconsciously.

Only to see the three paper figurines staring at them across the dark corridor, still with a stiff and bright smile on their faces: “Xiuqing, come on, dinner is ready. Hurry up and bring your mother here.”

“We’re waiting for you.”

Wen Jianyan quickly lowered his eyes and glanced at the old woman, who looked like a paper figure in his arms. His brain was obviously pretty good. Even if he didn’t understand the specific content of this hidden route before, after seeing this scene, he immediately understood everything.

The other three had already died, so they had completely turned into paper figures.

And although the mother was crazy, she was not dead. That’s why, in this space, she was only half a paper figurine.

The reason why the three paper figurines let him go so easily just now, apart from the fact that he was playing the role of “husband” conscientiously, was probably…

This old woman was the real target.

After all, she was the only survivor in the whole “family”.

That being the case,…

The solution to this hidden route was already clear.

—To recreate the original scene, it was enough for one more person to die.

Wen Jianyan weighed the old woman in his arms, raised his eyes, and looked at the three paper figures opposite.

“Dear, what are you waiting for? Come on.” The paper woman had a terrifying smile on her face.

“……”

Wen Jianyan was silent for two seconds.

The shimmering light of the electronic candle plated the young man’s face with a thin layer of light red. The lines from his side face to his adam’s apple were clear and distinct, becoming more and more beautiful. He narrowed his amber eyes slightly and smiled briefly.

“Darling, let’s be honest, the food you cook is too bad.”

“It can’t go on like this.”

He sighed and said sadly:

“I’ve decided, let’s get a divorce.”

The author has something to say:

#Shocked! A well-known anchor got divorced after ten minutes of flash marriage and abandoned his wife and children! Is it a moral decline or a distortion of human nature?!

#In order not to be disliked by his future wife, a well-known BOSS flipped through the recipe book late at night to learn how to cook secretly. The truth behind it was embarrassing!