Deadly Game: Almighty Boss’s Guide to Making Money

Chapter 1238. The Book at Night (26)

The passage behind the hidden door was filled with a deep purple-black mist, thicker than the mist in the forbidden book area on the second floor. Mist droplets fell onto the stone wall, leaving pale golden marks, like solidified lines of time.

Lin Xi walked at the front with a compass in hand. The compass needle was no longer emitting a steady blue light, but was flashing in a pulsed pattern.

With each flash, a hoarse bell tolled from the depths of the passage, as if squeezed from a rusty bell tongue.

—I wouldn't believe anyone who says this compass isn't a prop.

I still believe what 123 said.

—I find it strange that things brought in from outside can be used as props.

—It must be a bug in the 123 card.

—The game has detected it, and it will probably be fixed.

—Maybe it will be recycled.

—Pah, pah, pah, let's say something nice!
What interests me most is exactly what kind of bug it is.

Huang Jingjing held the "Key of Time" and the "Key of Space" in her left and right hands respectively. The light from the two keys intertwined to form a semi-transparent light shield, barely keeping the deep purple mist half a meter away.

The others followed closely behind Huang Jingjing.

Bai Yueming and Ouyang Xichen stood on the left and right, observing the situation at all times.

Just then, a cold, mechanical voice suddenly rang out.

"Please complete the task on the third floor within 15 minutes. The countdown to the collapse of the first floor stairs is 3 minutes."

—What does "first floor of stairs" mean?
—The staircase is even divided into layers; I really don't know whether I should swear or not.

Go ahead and curse!
—This game must have gathered so many talented people to come up with so many torturous methods!

A bright red countdown appeared on the public screen, starting from 15 minutes.

"Less than three minutes left, hurry!"

Lin Xi quickened his pace, and the compass needle suddenly pointed to the stone wall on the left.

A pale golden mist seeped from the cracks in the stone there. When you pushed it with your hand, the stone wall slowly moved away, revealing a spiral staircase.

The staircase was made of blackened oak, with clockwise rotating symbols carved on each step, and cracks along the edges, as if it might break at any moment.

Deep purple mist rose from the cracks in the stairs, and when you stepped on it, you could hear a sizzling sound of corrosion, as if countless tiny insects were gnawing at the wood.

“This staircase…something’s not right,” Guo Yuelang said.

He had just stepped onto the third step when the step suddenly sank half an inch, and the black mist emerging from the crack instantly wrapped around his ankle.

He jumped back.

"The fog can be sticky, so please stay in the middle and avoid the edges of the steps!"

Huang Jingjing immediately pushed the light shields of the two keys towards the stairs. Pale gold and silver light fell on the steps, and the black mist instantly shrank back into the cracks, revealing the safe area in the center of the steps.

"You're exposed inside the enclosure!" Huang Jingjing warned.

The group lined up and carefully climbed up the light barrier.

The time displayed on the public screen kept ticking.

"Collapse countdown: 1 minute 30 seconds, 12 steps remaining to the second floor." The cold, electronic voice relentlessly reminded them.

"Quick! The stairs are about to collapse!" Chang Xiaohe suddenly shouted.

The steps beneath his feet were already crumbling, splinters of wood falling off, and the cracks widened to the point where fingers could be inserted.

Bai Yueming, who was at the very back, suddenly cried out "Ouch!" His backpack was caught in the black mist in the crack of the steps, and the small hammer inside the backpack fell down with a "clang" to the bottom of the stairs. It was instantly enveloped by the black mist and turned into a wisp of black smoke.

"Never mind that, let's go up to the second floor first!" Chang Xiaohe reached out and pulled Bai Yueming forward.

Just then, the bottom three steps suddenly collapsed with a loud crash, sending rubble flying down and stirring up a black mist that surged upwards like a tide.

"The light shield can't hold up!" Huang Jingjing said.

The light from the two keys began to dim. The deep purple mist was several times more corrosive than before, and the edges of the protective shield were melting away at a visible rate.

With only five steps left, the platform on the second floor was almost in sight, but suddenly a large section of the stairs collapsed in the middle, creating a two-meter-wide gap.

Guo Yuelang jumped over without hesitation and immediately reached out after landing on the platform.

"Quick! I'll pull you over here!"

Chang Xiaohe was pulled onto the platform by Guo Yuelang's wrist.

When Bai Yueming jumped, the steps beneath her feet suddenly collapsed completely, and she fell downwards.

Huang Jingjing quickly hurled the light from the "Key of Time" at him, and the light shield supported his waist. Guo Yuelang took the opportunity to reach out and grab his arm, pulling him onto the platform.

"boom!"

The moment Bai Yueming stepped onto the platform, the remaining stairs collapsed, and a deep purple mist surged upwards from the gap, only to be blocked by an invisible barrier at the edge of the platform.

That's the platform's built-in protection; it can only be breached via the stairs.

The live stream chat was filled with exclamations of "Holy crap!", "Holy shit!", and "Damn it!"

—Holy crap, 0 seconds.

My heart was in my throat!
—Holy crap, my palms are so sweaty…

—Great, those looking for excitement, let's go for it!
—Thankfully, they all made it up.

—Looking at the live stream, three more people have disappeared.

—There are only 47 live stream rooms left, wow!

When will I be able to beat the game?!
—Won't they wait until everyone's dead?
Lin Xi looked at the public screen: [Countdown to collapse of the first floor → second floor: 0 seconds] [Countdown to collapse of the stairs from the second floor → third floor: 4 minutes and 58 seconds].

At this moment, there are 11 minutes and 12 seconds left until the final 15-minute time limit.

The second floor is narrower than the first floor, with a rusty elevator standing in the center.

The elevator doors were open, and it was pitch black inside. Only the steel cables hanging above could be seen swaying slightly.

There is a groove on the stone wall next to the elevator, and gear symbols are engraved around the groove.

"We need to start the elevator before we can go to the third floor!"

Ouyang Xichen took out the gear, approached the groove, and was sucked in by a suction force, becoming embedded in the center of the groove.

The gears started turning, a buzzing sound of electricity came from inside the elevator, and the light bulbs overhead lit up.

But it only stayed on for three seconds before going out.

The elevator cable suddenly creaked and dropped half a meter before abruptly stopping.

"what happened?!"

Bai Yueming was so frightened that she took a step back. Suddenly, the elevator doors began to close in the middle, as if they were being controlled by something.

"Quick! The gears are about to get stuck!" Quan Quan said.

The gears were turning slower and slower, and wear marks began to appear on their edges, as if invisible sandpaper was polishing them.

Bai quickly stepped forward and adjusted the gear angle. With a "click," the gear resumed its rotation speed, the elevator cable tightened again, and the door stopped closing.

"The elevator's started moving, get in quickly!"

Bai said this and rushed into the elevator first.

The elevator wasn't very big, but thankfully, everyone got in.

The elevator door slowly closed.

Just as the door closed, the stone wall on the second floor suddenly began to crumble and fall.

"Countdown to collapse from the second to the third floor: 3 minutes and 20 seconds." A cold, electronic voice announced.

The elevator slowly ascended, the creaking of the steel cables mingling with the chimes of the clock tower, sending chills down one's spine.