Chapter 22: Daybreak

Chapter 22: Dawn Breaks

"A Xi, it's dawn."

Standing behind the Ghost Bride, Su Bai wasn't just speaking to the Ghost Bride in front of him, but also to A Xi within the Malevolent Ghost Puzzle.

The towering flames seemed to awaken the eternal night of the nightmare world.

With her back to Su Bai, the Ghost Bride tore off the bridal veil that had been covering her eyes, then turned to face him.

In the firelight, the bloody hole in A Xi's chest stopped bleeding, and a relieved smile appeared on her delicate face. To Su Bai's surprise, the A Xi before him smiled and reached out her hand.

"Will you come with me?"

Even after being reborn, Su Bai was somewhat bewildered by what was happening. His ability, the Malevolent Ghost Puzzle, could indeed contain malevolent ghosts and anomalies that retained their humanity and were willing to leave with him. But... his puzzle already contained the Ghost Bride A Xi. If he were to take another A Xi with him...

Just as Su Bai hesitated, a voice whispered in his ear.

The A Xi within the Malevolent Ghost Puzzle also wanted Su Bai to take the Ghost Bride before him.

Su Bai didn’t know what had happened during the resonance between the two Ghost Brides earlier, but he naturally chose to trust the A Xi who was like family to him. Without hesitation, he reached out his right hand and grasped the hand of the Ghost Bride in front of him.

Amid the flames, a blood mist dissipated, and the Ghost Bride standing before Su Bai vanished, leaving only a soft whisper in his ear.

"Thank you."

"And... survive."

As the owner of the "Malevolent Ghost Puzzle," Su Bai could confirm that no pieces were added or removed within him. His puzzle still contained only one Ghost Bride. However, after the disappearance of the Ghost Bride before him, Su Bai felt that A Xi’s puzzle piece had undergone some subtle changes.

But when Su Bai tried to communicate with A Xi to understand what had changed, he found that her puzzle piece seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, making it difficult to awaken. The feeling was somewhat similar to a cooldown period in a game?

The red moon's chilling light fell on Su Bai. As he looked around, he noticed that the villagers and village houses of the Anomalous Village had vanished as if burned away, leaving only the towering flames lining both sides of the path.

The existence of the Anomalous Village had come to an end.

Perhaps from now on, there would no longer be a newcomer game on the Route 444 Last Bus.

"Hmm?"

Su Bai had thought he was the only one left in the area. But just as he was about to turn back to the bus and wait with Qin Ge and the others for the "prompt" signaling the end of the game, he noticed a figure in a dirty white nurse uniform standing not far behind him.

It was the crying Nurse.

"Are you hungry?" Su Bai glanced in the direction of the bus and asked with a wry smile, "Is there not enough food on the bus?"

The Nurse, who had been sobbing with her head down, shook her head. She lifted her head and wiped her tear-stained face with her sleeve, but nothing came off. The tear tracks and grime on her face made it hard to see her features clearly, but her beautiful eyes were remarkably clear, a rarity in the nightmare world.

Perhaps because she cried often?

The Nurse stopped sobbing and looked at Su Bai with curiosity. "You have many wounds on your body. Before they rupture, I can help you."

"Wounds?" Su Bai checked himself in confusion but saw no wounds within his field of vision, let alone the terrifying prospect of them "splitting open."

But the Nurse shook her head, not offering much explanation. She took a few steps closer to Su Bai and implored earnestly, "In exchange, please hide me."

Though the Nurse’s words were mysterious and odd, Su Bai had his own considerations.

After collecting his thoughts, Su Bai approached the Nurse and whispered, "Then, do you know about No. 666 Hospital?"

The moment the Nurse heard "No. 666 Hospital," her eyes and expression shifted visibly.

Without needing the Nurse to say anything more, Su Bai had the answer from her face.

"The deal is settled." Su Bai wasted no time and directly extended his right hand to the Nurse. "From now on, I will borrow your power and shoulder your desires."

Malevolent Ghost Puzzle!

Su Bai’s right hand clasped the Nurse’s left hand. The Nurse before him smiled faintly, dissolving into a blood mist that dissipated instantly, leaving only a heartfelt plea in Su Bai’s ear—

"Please, protect yourself."

Feeling an additional puzzle piece integrated into his body, Su Bai couldn’t help but sigh to himself. Although a player’s ability existed to help them survive better, the "Malevolent Ghost Puzzle" ability had its advantages and disadvantages for Su Bai.

But being able to meet these unique ghosts and borrow their power was a blessing for Su Bai, no matter which life he was in.

Especially after the Nurse became a new puzzle piece within him, Su Bai discovered that her abilities could not only be used as a weapon against anomalies but could even aid injured or ill humans!

In other words, by borrowing the Nurse’s power, Su Bai could even help his mother, who remained bedridden and unconscious.

Even if harboring this Nurse might involve some connection to a place calling itself "No. 666 Hospital," the ability to help his mother was an unexpected gift for Su Bai.

Looking around, the Anomalous Village had been destroyed, the Ghost Bride A Xi had once again become part of his puzzle, and even the last special passenger on the Route 444 Last Bus had taken refuge within the puzzle. Su Bai knew that even though they hadn’t survived the full 12 hours in the game, this game was bound to end prematurely.

So, Su Bai walked toward the bus while waiting for that familiar voice.

Before Su Bai could get close to the bus, the expected, sarcastic voice rang out—

"Ding ding!"

"The game is about to end."

"Lucky human, dear temporary resident of the nightmare world, since all opposing forces in this mini-game have been eliminated, congratulations on successfully completing the game and becoming an official resident of the nightmare world."

"As a reward for completing this mini-game, you will receive a trait unique to you... Huh? Ahem, a trait unique to you: Puzzle Ability Enhanced."

"In addition, you may choose to remain in the nightmare world or return to the Real World immediately. Dear resident, if you choose to remain in the nightmare world, you will be sent to a relatively safe area. If you choose to return to the Real World, you will be sent back to the location you were in before the game started."

"Please state your choice aloud."

Su Bai was no stranger to this odd voice, but even in his previous life, he had never known who it belonged to or where it came from.

In his previous life, because Su Bai had no ties in the Real World, he had always chosen to remain in the nightmare world. This way, he didn’t have to think about the Real World and could also hasten the absorption of power under the red moon.

But this time, Su Bai had a reason to return.

"I choose to return to the Real World."

"Dear resident, next stop—the Real World. Please prepare to disembark in advance, hahahaha!" The sarcastic voice even made a joke about the Route 444 Last Bus.

"Ten... Nine... Eight... Seven..."

"Special reminder: The White Side is currently at a disadvantage."

"Have a pleasant journey."

"Additionally..."

Just as Su Bai closed his eyes, ready to leave the nightmare world, the voice that had always seemed distant suddenly appeared right by his ear, as if whispering directly to him, leaving behind an enigmatic message—

"Give my regards to that one."