Chapter 404 Doing Everything to Stop It

Chapter 404: Doing Our Best to Hold Them Off

"This is leaving us no way out," Li Feiwen stared at the walls he had created, unsure how long these two ordinary barriers could hold.

"I've already ordered the scarecrow to act as bait and run downstairs. It should be emitting a scent of blood that interests the ghosts by now. I don't know if it can lure away a few more of them." Liang Yuyan's forehead was also beaded with sweat. Players at this stage weren't yet proficient with their abilities, and the power within them wasn't sufficient for effortless use.

After all, players at this stage didn't know that while "talents" seemed like marks bestowed by the Nightmare World, "abilities" were mutations born from their own understanding of their talents. To improve their abilities later, they needed to actively absorb more of the Crimson Moon's power, not let things take their natural course.

The best way to absorb the Crimson Moon's power was to spend long periods under its light. Even though later generations developed meditation methods that few could comprehend, they still required exposure to the Crimson Moon to accelerate power growth.

For most players, staying in the real world for extended periods wouldn't allow their abilities to improve quickly. This was also why organizations permanently based in the Nightmare World, like the Nameless Society, possessed power that far surpassed other organizations.

Although Su Bai was well aware of this, he had no intention of becoming a teacher spreading knowledge. If his memory served him correctly, the secret of "Crimson Moon power" would soon be discovered by a certain player. In this lifetime, with the help of the Player Forum, the news should spread even faster. Su Bai had no desire to steal someone else's discoveries.

In any lifetime, Su Bai was clear about one thing—this world would continue moving forward even without him.

Conversely, no matter what he did or changed, it was truly negligible for the future of both the real world and the Nightmare World.

However, if beneficial changes for the future, like the Player Forum and official teams, could become more numerous, Su Bai would be very pleased to see it. After all, the current Su Bai was different from before; he had people he cared about by his side, and even many non-humans he held dear.

Even for just one second, he hoped to walk a little further with their company... to see more of the scenery along the way.

Even if they said nothing.

...

*Awoo—*

A howl, like that of a wolf, sounded from beyond the walls, audible even to Tan Ying and the others. However, with Su Bai's hearing, he could also detect the crackle of electricity coming from the other side of the two walls.

Following Su Bai's instruction, Xiao Hei, stationed at the fourth-floor stairwell, wouldn't actually attack the ghosts. Right now, it was probably trying to use its ability to repel the ghosts attempting to ascend to the fourth floor.

*Boom!* The two walls Li Feiwen had erected in the corridor also began to show various cracks at that moment. The cracks spread rapidly in all directions, quickly widening and collapsing. Before long, both walls came crashing down.

Through the rubble of earth and stone and the dispersing dust, everyone saw a puppy holding its position warily at the fourth-floor stairwell. The small black dog emitted a deep, authoritative howl that belied its appearance, while black, lightning-like power struck the already restored staircase.

But perhaps because the black dog couldn't harm the ghosts and its form looked too young and vulnerable, the sight did nothing to reassure the players. Instead, they turned their gaze toward the ghosts now advancing toward the fourth floor.

It seemed Liang Yuyan's scarecrow had done its job. Su Bai didn't see the three ghosts that had been following Wu Hang, Liang Yuyan, and Tan Ying. Additionally, Liu Yongzhi's "family member" had already successfully taken his arm. So, the ghosts coming to the fourth floor numbered six in total...

No, five.

Su Bai noticed that the eerie entity with a snake tail for its lower half, which had been persistently following Zhi Yuan, was also standing on the landing of the stairs between the third and fourth floors. However, compared to the aggressive hunters, it seemed more like a quiet bystander standing there.

That snake woman showed no sign of retreat or fear in the face of Xiao Hei's lightning intimidation. Nor did she constantly try to advance like the other ghosts. She simply stood there calmly, looking up in the direction where the players were.

Perhaps because the snake woman was as peculiar as her "family member" Zhi Yuan, Su Bai studied her a moment longer.

From the snake woman, Su Bai saw no desire to hunt.

"Can you collapse the floor beneath us?" Seeing that Xiao Hei would soon harm the ghosts if it continued exerting force, Su Bai turned to ask Li Feiwen.

"I might not gauge the force correctly. Removing one floor is manageable, but if I accidentally dismantle all three floor slabs, not only would I pass out from exhaustion, but everyone would also instantly fall to the first floor and likely get everyone injured." Li Feiwen answered quickly, clearly having considered this approach.

"We can't do that unless it's absolutely the last resort," Tan Ying also shook her head. "Li Feiwen's ability here is indeed very unstable. If we remove the floor, someone in our team will definitely get injured."

Although Xiao Hei tried hard to intimidate the ghosts, under various restrictions, the ghosts seemed to realize that while Xiao Hei's lightning was terrifying, it wasn't harming them. So, the ghosts began moving faster and faster.

In this situation, the black dog let out an *aowu* and began to retreat step by step toward Su Bai's direction.

Upon detecting the black dog's retreat, the ghost with half its face a bloody mess, at the front, stepped onto the fourth-floor corridor with heavy footsteps.

"Starting now, everyone who can do something, go all out!" As Tan Ying spoke, the shadow at her feet instantly shot forward toward the five ghosts.

According to Tan Ying's earlier estimation, she believed she could trap the ghosts with her shadow for ten minutes. However, unexpectedly, the "Ai Qing's brother" encircled by the shadow instead showed an angry expression. Glaring in Ai Qing's direction, it let out a low roar and broke free from the shadow's bonds.

The shadow appearing under the dim yellow light and on the carpet seemed intangible. But when "Ai Qing's brother" broke free, the shadow on the ground splintered apart. Tan Ying, standing not far away, also spat out a mouthful of blood.

*Why, why do you always think of escaping! Indeed, I should also take your face!* "Ai Qing's brother" cracked a vicious and terrifying grin with its half bloody, blurred face, reaching out as if to press against Ai Qing's face the next second.

"Li Feiwen!" At this moment, Tan Ying didn't pin her hopes on Chi Yan's control ability. She directly shouted Li Feiwen's name, trying to get him to immediately dismantle the floor!

But at the same time Tan Ying called out Li Feiwen's name, Ai Qing, standing there looking terrified, also loudly shouted his name.

"Li Feiwen, save me!" Ai Qing's originally somewhat shrill voice now sounded as grating as nails scraping a blackboard.

Even more eerie was that Li Feiwen, who should have dismantled the floor immediately, was instead uncontrollably positioning himself between Ai Qing and the ghost like a meat shield, doing nothing.

"Tan Ying," Li Feiwen himself looked utterly shocked, "my body... is being controlled."

"It seems there are more than two people in this game with the ability to control others." Su Bai extended his left hand. The little black cat, Happy, and a group of cat spirits instantly emerged from the black protective cord, charging toward the ghosts ahead.

Wen Wen, not far away, widened her eyes upon seeing those cat spirits.