Chapter 316 All for Nothing

Chapter 316 All for Naught

Su Bai gazed at the desiccated skeleton in the basement, pondering what had transpired after Master Wang chose to seek refuge there. Given that Master Wang had overseen the mansion's construction and knew the basement's entry, he surely possessed knowledge of its exit as well.

It seemed Master Wang's initial intent was merely to lie low, devise an escape, and then depart the basement.

However, Master Wang was perpetually shadowed by the Ghost Lady he had personally slain. Born of deep resentment, she had transformed into an Eerie Entity shortly after her death, clinging to Master Wang's side. This was a primary reason for his desperate desire to leave.

If the Ghost Lady's sole obsession and purpose had been revenge, to see Master Wang dead, her abilities would have allowed her to act at any moment, even before he could liquidate his assets.

Yet, this was clearly not her true fixation. Her constant presence by Master Wang's side was likely to orchestrate his "perfect" demise—perhaps a death steeped in despair within a secret chamber brimming with fake gold and silver, with no one to aid him, and not a single "gold ingot" to answer his pleas.

Su Bai knew the Ghost Lady hadn't immediately killed Master Wang after he hid in the basement, as the skeleton was intact, showing no signs of struggle or attempts to conceal himself.

More importantly, a closer look revealed a pile of elevated "gold ingots" beside the skeleton's hand. Though each ingot, like those Su Bai had seen earlier, had lost its gilding, the marks didn't appear to be natural wear. Instead, they seemed to have been frantically scraped off with fingernails, with traces of nail scratches still visible on the underlying material.

In other words… before his death, Master Wang finally grasped the extent of the counterfeit goods masquerading as "gold, silver, and jewels" among his possessions.

Even so, Master Wang was confined to that secret room until his last breath, accompanied by a heap of worthless "treasures." With the Ghost Lady's power, she could easily have trapped Master Wang in the basement, just as she had confined other entities within the mansion. No one, human or ghost, would hear his cries for help, nor would anyone know that the Master Wang, so despised by the Ghost Lady, was slowly awaiting death in the secret room beneath the pond.

"When you realized escape was impossible, did you cry out for help? Did you consider offering half your fortune to have the old steward rescue you?"

"As death approached, were these so-called 'riches' truly the most important thing to you?"

Su Bai didn't know if Master Wang had transformed into a ghost due to obsession after death, but even if he had, any newly formed ghost would have likely been annihilated by the Ghost Lady long ago.

Su Bai let out a scornful laugh, then tossed the "gold ingot" he held beside the skeleton and departed without a backward glance.

This particular game session had yielded nothing for Su Bai. The ghosts and corrupted energies within the mansion had been completely consumed by Xiao Huo. This experience should have enhanced Xiao Huo's abilities, yet the bead bracelet on Su Bai's left wrist had collected very little residual energy.

"Let's go." Su Bai had previously noticed a ladder leaning against the wall, likely Master Wang's means of entering and exiting the secret basement, which conveniently saved them some trouble.

After leaving the basement, Su Bai glanced back at the bride still standing at the North Courtyard entrance. From her motionless stance, it seemed this final ghost bride had no intention of leaving the mansion.

Among the three ghost brides, the North Courtyard Bride had always harbored the deepest aversion to both the mansion and Master Wang.

But at this point, even if the ghost bride were to leave the mansion, she seemed to have nowhere to go… Perhaps she would remain here, becoming the next Eerie Entity fused with the mansion, or perhaps she would depart for another place after Su Bai left. Regardless, these matters were no longer Su Bai's concern.

Without another word, Su Bai led Xiao Huo and A Xi, who had been waiting nearby, towards the front house.

As Su Bai stepped into the front house, another collapse echoed from behind. Perhaps the underground space beneath the pavilion, having endured the passage of time, was no longer stable. The already mostly collapsed pavilion sank further, with all the rubble and debris plunging into the underground space, completely burying the mountain of "gold, silver, and treasures" along with the skeleton.

It was truly over.

Perhaps when the Ghost Lady was incinerated by the flames, this peculiar mansion had also perished, becoming an inert structure devoid of any lingering Red Moon energy. Moreover, after the game concluded, the dense fog that had enveloped the mansion had dissipated. When Su Bai attempted to open the main gate—which the old steward and other players had been unable to open—he met no resistance. The door, now devoid of any power, opened effortlessly.

The nightmare world streets Su Bai and Xiao Huo had once traversed reappeared in his vision. Su Bai recalled that before entering the mansion, he had been blindly searching, accompanied by Xiao Huo, for a way to nurture his mother’s soul. In the end, not only had he wasted time by inadvertently entering a beginner’s game, but he had also gained nothing.

"Things are about to get troublesome."

Just as Su Bai was about to find a door to return directly to the Mist Shop, the familiar voice of the administrator suddenly resonated in his ears.

"Trouble?" Su Bai paused for a moment before quickly understanding. "Are you referring to the fact that a player who failed to clear the game has left the scenario alive?"

"How peculiar, you people always refer to yourselves that way…" The administrator seemed aware that humans called themselves "players," yet while they termed their recurring missions "games," they found the appellation "players" puzzling—a strange observation in Su Bai's view.

"For the game, rules are paramount. Human winners receive the reward of continued survival, while losers must face punishment. That is the essence of the game." Although Mr. Administrator stated that matters had become troublesome, his tone remained calm. "If the rules cease to exist, the game will undergo some terrible changes."

"So those who fail must die?" Su Bai didn't perceive the administrator as an enemy, so his tone wasn't aggressive. "And the reason I could leave is simply because the eerie entities inside couldn't stop me, isn't that right?"

"Could it be that a stray fish like myself has alarmed Mr. Administrator into taking personal action?" The blue flame beside Su Bai intensified as if in response. "Then I shall certainly extend a proper welcome to Mr. Administrator."

"…" The administrator’s voice remained silent for a moment. "I am merely here to inform Mr. Su that excessively breaking the rules may attract the attention of certain dreadful entities, something even Lord Ghost Witch would find troublesome…"

"Get to the point."

"Ahem." Mr. Administrator cleared his throat. "I have already helped conceal this matter. Consider it another favor Mr. Su owes me. When necessary, I hope Mr. Su will once again lend a hand."

"You…"

"Wishing you a pleasant game. I look forward to our next meeting."

Su Bai wanted to press further, but he could sense the administrator’s voice fading away. All that remained around him were the howling cold wind and the ever-present faint red moonlight.

Meanwhile, in a certain part of the real world, four newcomers who had just become players in the nightmare world were experiencing a complex mix of emotions.

They knew that a senior player, who had attempted to save their lives, had "perished."