“Chapter 50: The Haunted Snow Mountain 20”

"Chapter 50: The Haunted Snow Mountain 20"

"Copper Kettle exclaimed in shock, 'I'm doomed, I won't make it through!'"

"'There’s still the resurrection round. Try hard, there's still a chance.'"

"Due to the high difficulty and mortality rate of the instance, there are often not enough players, hence the necessity for a resurrection round."

"After sending Copper Kettle off, Lu Zai Chuan revisited Pei Yi's haunted instance livestream replay, deep in thought."

……

"Back in his room, Pei Yi, having eaten his fill, planned to sleep in preparation for tomorrow's competition. But the more he tried to sleep, the more elusive it became."

"Unable to sleep, he got up, turned on the light screen to check the livestream room and his ranking."

"His score now stood at 152 points, improving by several thousand places to just over 40,000 – a rapid progression. Thanks to the haunted instance, his livestream had reached a new level, with over four thousand followers."

"It was 9 PM, and already many were waiting for his livestream tomorrow."

"'Looking forward to Brother Pei's first match in S1, to set a new record.'"

"'Arriving early to wait, can’t wait any longer.'"

"Thinking about tomorrow's instance, Pei Yi frowned. He had points now and should buy a suitable weapon. But hadn’t he snatched one from Lu Zai Chuan?"

"He checked his inventory: a K2 handgun, a black notebook, and a pen. Pei Yi thought for a moment and purchased a small knife from the JC store."

"But these weapons might not be allowed in the instance, so keeping them on hand was just a precaution."

"After organizing his things, Pei Yi looked in the mirror and noticed his hair, which he hadn’t cut for a while."

"After some thought, he arranged for a haircut service, opting for a buzz cut."

"The visiting hairdressers were full of praise, 'Oh my, so handsome! A buzz cut really brings out your handsomeness. Pei God! You’re sure to dazzle everyone tomorrow.'"

"Pei Yi: '...' He just wanted a practical haircut for the instance."

"'Really, really,' another hairdresser said, 'Brother Pei has such a handsome face, distinct eyes and nose. The buzz cut highlights your features, making you look even more handsome, and you’re tall. When you smile, there’s a charming roguishness, and when you’re serious, you look incredibly composed, exuding a strong masculine charm!'"

"Pei Yi: '...' He was embarrassed by the compliments, but indeed felt refreshed after the haircut. He paid the hairdressers and sent them on their way."

"After getting his hair cut, Pei Yi opened the NPC forum, planning to browse for a while before sleeping."

"Once opened, he saw that the user 'Crying Pig' had posted a new thread."

"[NPC Diary: Today's Experience in the Haunted Snow Mountain as South Wind]"

"The beginning of the post was a video clip of South Wind lying in the snow, gazing up at the sky, softly humming a song, her pallor almost merging with the snow."

"That was the very love song played in the daily radio broadcast!"

"Then, a blanket of snow surged towards South Wind, completely burying her."

"'Hello everyone, I'm back. Today's experience as South Wind. Actually, I just played South Wind in this CG; the South Wind in the instance wasn’t me."

"Did South Wind harbor any hatred before she died? I think so, though the officials haven’t given a definite answer. But from Jun Huai’s diary, I guess South Wind gave her chance of survival to him."

"—She sacrificed herself."

"Remember that English line from the diary? — Promise me to live on."

"But why did South Wind's love change? I think it never did. It's just that she loved too deeply, so when she saw Jun Huai staying in the cabin, she couldn’t resist approaching but was repeatedly turned away."

"Jun Huai was afraid of her. For her, that must have been truly painful. Because of this bit of ‘evil,’ she was exploited by the real malevolent spirits, betraying her initial intentions."

"And now, as usual, I’ll share a paranormal experience I had while playing an NPC."

"You know, when I was playing South Wind, lying in the snow, I saw something I shouldn’t have, just a glimpse. That expression was fierce, glaring at me fiercely. I remembered that look for a long time. I guess that man was one of the malevolent spirits, already waiting to kill."

"So many malevolent spirits... No wonder this snow mountain is cursed."

"The most terrifying thing is always the human heart."

"So, to Pei Yi who achieved a full score, I offer my most sincere admiration. Just watching the video scared me."

"Finally, do you all want to see the photos of those hundred-plus tourists? But be warned, it's said that those who have seen them experience discomfort. View with caution."

"Then, the post included a photo of nearly a hundred people standing in front of a massive bus. Among so many, Pei Yi immediately spotted South Wind and Jun Huai."

"Their faces were somewhat blurred, smiling, but the smiles seemed surreal. As if they weren’t human expressions. Some had mismatched eyes, some with slightly twisted mouths, others with overly large eyes, all contributing to an overall eerie appearance."

"After closing the post, Pei Yi pondered that perhaps this instance was based on real events."

"He then opened the details of the next instance he was about to join, which featured a new image leak: a fox."

"A massive poster filled entirely with the face of a fox."

"Some things are cute when small, but only unnerving when enlarged. Its eyes were slanted, slowly curling upwards, with an extremely sharp face. If this were a person, they would definitely be the epitome of a sharp and sly appearance."

"Staring at it for a while, the fox seemed to be smiling."

"Looking longer, it was indeed smiling."

"Pei Yi realized that each poster for a JC instance wasn't horrifying, but rather carried a poetic essence. Like the Haunted Snow Mountain, which was represented by a sky full of snow."

"Thinking about various things, Pei Yi turned off the light screen and fell asleep."

"He dreamt of being back on the snow mountain, but this time he was alone, transformed into South Wind. After his death, Jun Huai kept calling for him, over and over."

"As Jun Huai lay dying on the snow mountain, he hummed their song, choosing to die in the same way as South Wind, merging completely with the snow, with the land they both deeply loved."

"With the wind, the trees, the snow around him, Jun Huai looked up, reaching out to catch a snowflake."

"And as South Wind, he felt like a gentle breeze brushing his face, 'Go back, my love, continue living.'"

"A tear slipped from Jun Huai’s eye as he whispered softly, 'Take me with you, take me with you…'"

"'Go back... go back... go back...' Those calls, fading into the white snow-filled sky."

"As the dream reached this point, Pei Yi suddenly woke up with a start."

"This is another ending by the system. Unbelievable as it is! But indeed, apart from the tombstone, there’s no evidence that Jun Huai is deceased."

"He pondered and opened the screen to search for the name Yuan Shusheng, but the search yielded no results."

"Could he have guessed wrong? Had the person followed her in death?"

"Pei Yi thought and decided to post online."

"Title [I have a question: Is Jun Huai really dead in there? Apart from the tombstone, is there any other evidence?]"

"Could it be possible that he’s not dead, just left the snowy mountain? He intended to die for love, but Nan Feng wouldn’t allow it."

Comments below the post.

"Seeing Pei God late at night, I'm so happy."

"Pei God, this perspective is quite novel. If he's not dead, where's the evidence?"

"But if he's dead, where's the evidence?"

"The tombstone, of course."

"The tombstone just shows he's dead, but maybe he escaped death."

Pei Yi's post sparked a lot of arguments.

Beanpole Bro: "Ah, so lively! I haven't slept either. Pei God, you should get some sleep. Tomorrow's a big instance. My theory is that Yuan Shusheng might not be dead."

"Beanpole! Your idea is too dark and terrifying."

"If we consider this angle, then who's the perpetrator in the Malevolent Spirit instance?"

"Instances are instances, reality is reality. No one knows the real truth."

Beanpole: "Let me summarize for everyone. If we go by this angle, the real-world version, after Nan Feng's death, Jun Huai blamed everyone and started causing trouble on the snowy mountain. Remember the frequent accidents there? All of this was what Jun Huai told Nan Feng and us in her diary. After a major mishap, the mountain became quiet. Jun Huai then stayed alone on the mountain. When that group of photographers unwittingly came to the mountain, he started killing again."

"'Oh my God. If that's true, it's terrifying!'"

"Pei Xiao Yi: 'This perspective is really dark. So, choosing the cable car and ski area was for convenience in carrying out his plan? Not forming teams was also part of his strategy!'"

"'Pei God nailed it.'"

"'Pei God is amazing!'"

"As Pei Yi pondered, a system message popped up: [Content violates community standards, post has been deleted.]"

"Pei Yi: '……' It is pretty inappropriate."

"But what’s more inappropriate is the system, right? It seems to be monitoring their every move all the time... With these thoughts, Pei Yi fell asleep, sleeping until 8 in the morning. He got ready and headed to the JC game hall."

"He thought he was early, but the place was already crowded with people, packed in front of a giant screen, waiting for the match to start."

"The first round of the speed game eliminated half of the players. Half more will be eliminated in the first round of the group stage. So, everyone was quite anxious."

"Seeing him, many people looked over, and some even approached him—"

"'Pei God, your performance in the haunted instance was really strong.'"

"'Pei Bro is awesome!'"

"'Pei God, which group are you in?'"

"Similar exchanges occurred. Pei Yi looked around and didn’t recognize anyone, although he spotted Tan Yun's group, but no sign of Lu Zai Chuan. As he was feeling bored, two guys approached him. The leader of the pair said:"

"'Brother Pei.'"

"Pei Yi frowned, 'Who are you?' The two men in front of him were identical twins with baby faces, dressed alike. However, slight differences were noticeable. The one speaking seemed more enthusiastic, while the other appeared more reserved."

"'Starlight,' the leading twin introduced himself, pointing to his companion, 'Starshine, my brother. We've joined Lu God's team.'"

"Pei Yi responded with an 'Oh', realizing that these were his 'rivals.' So, Lu Zai Chuan chose them over him, huh? He was curious to see in what aspects they were better than him."

"'Hello, nice to meet you.'"

"'Brother Pei, your speed racing video was so cool! Hope one day I can be as cool as you! Can you teach us how to be as cool as you?'"

"Pei Yi, admittedly a bit sensitive, was instantly disarmed by their praise, and he replied modestly, 'That was just a normal performance... If you don’t mind, I can teach you sometime.'"

"'Really? Brother Pei, can we add you as a friend?'"

"'Sure.' Pei Yi happily added them as friends."

"After adding them as friends, the overhead system speaker sounded."

"[Welcome to the first match of the Thriller City S1 Group Stage, themed 'City of the Foxes']"

"[Thrill Level: Five Stars Mortality Rate: 80%]"

"[Game Key Points: Mystery Solving, Rule-Based Tales]"

"[Game Rules: Players will enter a place called City of the Foxes and partake in a seven-day journey.]"

"[Victory Condition: Find the blue key and escape the City of the Foxes.]"

"[Welcome all players to 'City of the Foxes.' Please check your groups. The game starts now.]"

"[CG will play in two minutes.]"