Chapter 281 Time Reversal

Chapter 281: Time Reverts

Su Bai, in his room in the eastern courtyard, heard noises from the backyard. His senses, sharpened by the Red Moon's power, allowed him to detect voices despite the distance. Though he couldn't make out every word, he was certain four people were speaking: one voice sounded youthful, and two others were vaguely familiar.

Since this was a novice game, those familiar voices couldn't belong to players Su Bai had encountered before in the Nightmare World—they could only be people he knew in reality.

He mentally reviewed everyone he'd interacted with in the real world but couldn't pinpoint which two unfortunate souls had been dragged into the Nightmare World.

While covertly monitoring the newcomers' movements, Su Bai also prepared himself for the game. Though he didn't know the original appearance of the bride in the eastern courtyard, Ghost Bride A Xi from the *Evil Ghost Puzzle* had always stayed by his side like a sister, forging a unique bond between him and the ghost bride.

Moreover, when borrowing A Xi’s power, Su Bai appeared clad in her bridal gown, complete with the bleeding wound on her chest. Though that chest wound didn't match the drowned bride's description in this game's storyline, he reasoned that as long as he concealed the bloodstains, A Xi’s bridal gown—and the ghost bride’s eerie presence—would easily deceive the newcomers.

Though he wore a bridal veil, Su Bai played it safe and summoned the Ghost Umbrella to assist with the disguise. In the rush, he only knew that the Ghost Umbrella had altered his face—and seemed highly satisfied with the final "result."

The Ghost Umbrella’s so-called "satisfaction" often struck Su Bai as unreliable, but he also knew this prankster had limits: he would never do anything to harm Su Bai.

There were surprises during preparations. Earlier, though Xiao Huo had consumed the blue flame representing his past, he—like Ghost Bride A Xi after clearing *Route 444: The Last Bus*—had fallen asleep. Su Bai didn't understand what this slumber meant, but he recalled that when A Xi had awakened from her previous sleep, she'd grown stronger and radiated joy toward the puzzle's owner. So this kind of sleep was likely not dangerous.

Once the sleeping Xiao Huo and the Ghost Umbrella—which had completed its task—returned to the puzzle, Su Bai, now dressed in a vivid red bridal gown and concealing the chest wound, sat quietly on the dusty bed in the eastern courtyard. The red bridal veil rested in his hand, ready to be lowered at the precise moment he needed to assume his role.

He could still hear the newcomers conversing in the backyard. The surroundings remained pitch-black, but the atmosphere was relatively calm. After all, every game granted players a grace period at the start for self-introduction. It was fortunate they could use this time to talk.

Once the grace period ended, some sign would inevitably appear in the game scene—announcing the official commencement of the game to all participating players!

Just as this thought crossed his mind, candlelight suddenly flared to life in Su Bai’s room in the eastern courtyard. The previously pitch-black space was instantly bathed in warm, golden candlelight.

Su Bai looked up—and through the torn holes in the paper-covered doors and windows, he faintly saw light spilling into the courtyard outside. If his guess was correct, the mansion—previously swallowed by night—was now illuminated throughout, enabling the newcomers, who had struggled to see in the darkness, to clearly observe everything unfolding inside.

At the same time, it might also signal the game’s official start.

“Something’s not right.”

Su Bai murmured to himself as he scanned the room. Without even needing close inspection, he sensed something off about the mansion now that it was lit. Recalling his earlier entry into the eastern courtyard room, he remembered there had been little odor inside—yet the bed, doors, and windows were thickly coated in dust. Aside from some tables and furniture—and a few burnt-out white candles—the room held nothing but dust.

But once the candlelight filled the space, everything changed.

The burnt-out white candles on the table had transformed into freshly lit, vivid red wedding candles, flanked by fresh-looking fruits and delicate pastries. Even the room—just moments ago shrouded in dust—was now spotless. All furniture, including the red bedding on the bed, looked brand-new. The doors and windows—previously torn with multiple holes—were now whole and intact.

The entire eastern courtyard room appeared to have reverted from a dilapidated ruin into a newly built, meticulously arranged chamber.

Su Bai recalled the administrator’s information implanted in his mind: wealthy merchant Master Wang had constructed this mansion specifically for his marriage. In other words, when the three brides were brought here, it truly *was* a newly built residence.

To gather more intel, Su Bai walked over and pushed open the now-brand-new door—its surface still smelling faintly of fresh paint—just a little wider, all while remaining seated on the bed. He didn’t believe only the interior had changed; opening the door this way would let him glimpse part of the scenery beyond the courtyard.

As anticipated, the once barren courtyard now flourished with shrubs and even flower beds. Large red lanterns adorned with the character "囍" (double happiness) hung on either side of the eastern gate. The candlelight within cast a warm glow, softening the crimson moon in the night sky with an air of tranquility.

Earlier, when Su Bai had entered the courtyard, he *had* seen lanterns on either side of the gate—but they’d been faded to white and tattered, evoking dread rather than festivity.

Now, both inside and outside the eastern courtyard, it was as if time itself had reversed—rewinding the mansion back to the moment before its decay. The backyard where the newcomers stood would surely be the same.

If the mansion’s time could reverse…

What about the people inside?

Su Bai returned to the bedside and sat down, closing his eyes to enter a meditative state—focusing his spirit and energy entirely on his hearing, sharpening his ability to discern movements in the backyard.

…

“So—you’re saying we’ve entered a world completely separate from reality, and we’re forced to participate in horror games like those in scary movies? Only by surviving—and clearing the game—can we return to our original world? But even if we clear *this* horror game, after some time, we’ll be dragged back under the Red Moon into this world to play again?”

After listening to the man—who claimed to be a core member of the relevant authorities—briefly explain the Nightmare World and the existence of players, Lin Wenhua felt cursed. Otherwise, how could such a life-threatening calamity strike him mere days after the terrifying incident at the abandoned park?

“Even as players, we cannot directly reveal the Nightmare World’s existence to ordinary people in reality. Our department has sacrificed greatly to obtain this intelligence—and to ensure trainees like us are informed.” The core member’s expression was grave indeed. “It’s a pity we only began training not long—”

The young man froze mid-sentence, his expression stiffening.

“Mister…” The bear-doll girl looked up at him, skeptical. “If you’ve *only just started training*, are you really a core member?”

“…” The man fell silent for a beat before guiltily averting his gaze. “Regardless—I definitely know far more than all of you. It’s pure luck you met me here! From now on, we simply follow the administrator’s instructions and complete the game!”

As lantern light gradually spilled across the backyard, Lin Wenhua and the others watched the man—who’d proudly proclaimed himself a “core member”—now wearing a guilty, uneasy expression. Their sense of urgency finally took hold.