Chapter 428 Early Closure for Rectification

Chapter 428: Early Closure for Rectification

"Boom—!"

A deafening roar came from all directions, as if an invisible giant hand was tearing the entire Happy Hotel apart. The walls trembled violently, the ground beneath the red carpet cracked, and the building's progression from cracking to collapse was extremely rapid. In the blink of an eye, fissures spread like a spiderweb. Decorations crashed down from the walls one after another, accompanied by the massive sound of shattering, as if the entire space was hurtling toward destruction.

Li Feiwen instinctively waved his hand, attempting to use his ability to draw in surrounding earth and rock for repairs. The soil and stone around him seemed to respond, lifting as if controlled, trying to fill the cracking ground. But it was completely useless. The fissures devoured the material like ravenous beasts; no matter how he tried to patch them, the surrounding structure would simply split open again.

The walls crumbled amidst violent tremors, as if the very rules of this world were disintegrating.

"It's no use. This building simply cannot be repaired." Li Feiwen knew his ability was powerless here.

Just as some players were at a loss, the surroundings grew even more bizarre. The hotel walls began to turn transparent, like paper gradually burning through, tearing apart while slowly dissipating into the air.

The chandelier on the ceiling swayed, its light flickering on and off before plummeting straight down. It smashed into the floor but vanished into nothingness upon impact, disappearing before everyone's eyes. The surrounding furniture and objects seemed sucked into some spatial collapse, disintegrating in a grotesque manner before vanishing.

Finally, the floor beneath the players' feet dissipated, and everyone involuntarily began to fall. Su Bai, with practiced ease, grabbed Wu Hang and leaped onto the nearby black dog, simultaneously instructing the dog to catch Tan Ying during the descent.

Aside from Su Bai instinctively grabbing Wu Hang, the scene looked all too familiar.

Having experienced this once before, Tan Ying immediately reacted. She swiftly activated her ability, using her control over shadows to manipulate the other players' bodies, significantly slowing their fall.

However, when all players landed steadily on their feet, what greeted them was not the expected ruins, nor the lobby on the first floor.

They stood beneath the night sky of the Nightmare World, where they could look up and see the blood-red moon.

Before them lay no wreckage from the hotel's collapse, not even a single broken brick. Instead, there was an empty expanse of land, surrounded only by endless thick fog enveloping them, silent as death.

"Where's the Happy Hotel?" Liang Yuyan looked around in confusion.

When Su Bai and the others first entered this game scenario, they had also stood on an empty patch of land surrounded by thick fog. Back then, players only needed to look up and forward to see the Happy Hotel towering there.

Now, only a flat plain lay before them.

"It's gone. It left, taking the 'family members' inside the hotel with it." As Su Bai said this, he remembered the omnipresent Mist Shop he possessed.

The Happy Hotel itself was an Eerie Entity, even consciously sheltering those Eerie Entities that sought "family." Perhaps the Happy Hotel itself also yearned for family, which was why it particularly cherished the Eerie Entities it had taken in.

Seeing Tan Ying's puzzled expression, Liang Yuyan recounted everything they had encountered earlier.

"So, the reason we couldn't harm those Eerie Entities was because the hotel regarded them as 'family members'?" Li Feiwen's expression also held a touch of emotion. "If those ghosts hadn't genuinely wanted to kill us, I might have even found it somewhat... heartwarming?"

"It might not necessarily be that heartwarming." Su Bai's thoughts differed somewhat from the other players'.

When Su Bai and Zhi Yuan had dealt with some of the Eerie Entities earlier, the hotel might not have had time to stop them, but it also didn't retaliate against Su Bai and Zhi Yuan afterward. In fact, it quickly chose to compromise.

Some might think the hotel's actions were to protect the remaining "family members," but in Su Bai's view, the hotel's affection for those "family members" might not run that deep. It could even resemble a child's love for toys.

A child fears others touching their toys, but if there are other toys or new ones, then some broken or lost toys aren't that important to them.

Su Bai believed this was the real reason the hotel chose to compromise so quickly. Although the hotel would be angry that someone had taken away part of its toys, they were ultimately just toys. By choosing to leave immediately, it could still protect the remaining Eerie Entities.

Losing old toys might be regrettable, but as the female ghost and other Eerie Entities had said, there were far too many homeless, wandering ghosts in the Nightmare World desperately craving family.

Even if the hotel chose to compromise and leave now, it would soon attract more Eerie Entities longing for "family" to enter, acquiring even more "family members."

Perhaps precisely because it didn't lack "family," the hotel's departure seemed so resolute, making Su Bai feel the Happy Hotel's original intent wasn't particularly heartwarming.

However, Su Bai saw no need to share such speculations with others.

Realizing they had successfully ended the game early, Tan Ying and the others began exchanging contact information for the real world nearby. Su Bai, meanwhile, scanned the surroundings once more. The building that had created a bizarre segment of the dream had vanished into the night. Everything seemed as if it had never existed, leaving only this silent, empty land.

"Ding ding!"

Soon, the Administrator's voice sounded again after a long absence. It remained the Administrator's mechanical tone; even the "ding ding" sound was an emotionless noise emitted by the programmatic Administrator.

"It seems your family activity tour hasn't been fully satisfying." The Administrator's phrasing was as sarcastic as ever.

"However... fortunate humans, dear temporary residents of the Nightmare World, we regret to inform you that our cozy Happy Hotel has encountered some difficult operational issues requiring a period of closure for renovations. This special family event will, with great regret, conclude ahead of schedule."

"Therefore, congratulations on successfully clearing the game once again, allowing you to continue enjoying the blessings bestowed by the Red Moon."

"You may choose to remain in the Nightmare World or proceed immediately to the real world. Dear resident, if you choose to stay in the Nightmare World, you will be transported to a relatively safe area. If you choose to go to the real world, you will return to the location you were at before the game began."

"Please announce your choice aloud."

...

When the Administrator's voice sounded in Su Bai's ears, he didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stood quietly, watching Tan Ying and the others bid him farewell one by one, their figures disappearing under the red moon.

"Please announce your choice aloud." The Administrator prompted again.

"Mr. Administrator, please wait a moment." Su Bai wasn't sure if the special Mr. Administrator could hear him.

But for now, Su Bai's gaze was fixed on Wu Hang, who hadn't yet disappeared beside him.

"I still have a few words to say to Mr. Wu."