The Thirteen Trials of the Deceptive Monk

But Lü Wenjun's pupils suddenly dilated. He screamed at Mingxiao, "It's here! It's behind you!!"

Mingxiao hurriedly dodged to the side, and the bricks and tiles behind her shattered, revealing a sharp dagger sticking out from the cracks.

The mad spirit was right behind the wall! Its dagger slashed down, easily tearing the thick wall apart like paper. It stepped out of the wall, accompanied by a swarm of rats and ugly worms, while dozens of eyes watched from the shadows. The mad spirit burst forth with a song from its hideous wound.

"There's no way to retreat! There's no way to escape!"

Mingxiao grabbed Lü Wenjun and ran towards the deep red door. The other end of the corridor was blocked off, so this was the only way out. Lü Wenjun cried out in terror, "Let me go! It's coming for me!"

"You'd better shut your mouth!" Mingxiao said rudely. "Sister, you'd better close your eyes too."

I have no interest in your privacy.

"No!" Mingxiao flung open the door. "I mean you might get blinded by the light!!"

The deep red gate swung open, and a vast, crimson light suddenly burst forth!

Lu Wenjun held his breath. It was a scene he had seen before. Even though there were many strange things he saw in his "dream," that scene would always occupy the most magnificent and terrifying place.

The boundless flood submerged the land, plunging the world into a desolate emptiness. On the lifeless, stagnant water, only the setting sun shone brightly.

That was ominous sunlight, a blood-red glow, as if the world had reached the end of its lifespan, transforming its remaining power into a fading light. At that moment, the setting sun was magnifying, blazing like a meteor. This transformation caused the intense light to fall upon the stagnant water, and a terrifying roar resounded, like the sky's death thud.

The blood-red setting sun is falling, descending upon the last remaining piece of land in the world!

Mingxiao cursed under her breath. She had expected this. This room had instilled fear in Jiuguang, fear in Lü Wenjun, and naturally, fear in her as well. Kuang Lingzhui entered and raised his butcher's knife, but she didn't even glance at him, only raising her head to look at the setting sun.

"I will come to see you someday!" she shouted. "I promise!"

The sun laughed. A light, ethereal laugh echoed through the deathly silence. Then, a new door appeared in the distant sunlight, and Mingxiao seized the opportunity to use his supernatural speed to drag Lü Wenjun through the door and leave the place.

But the Mad Spirit couldn't catch up, as the setting sun's rays enveloped it. It burned and decayed in the crimson light, its body almost turning to ash, only to rapidly reassemble under the drive of strange magic.

It rises from the cycle of death and rebirth, inch by inch, toward the door at the end of the light.

The fear of immortality will eventually catch up with the shadow of the dreadful.

·

Mingxiao slammed the door shut, shutting out the setting sun, the flood, and the raging spirits behind her. She sat down against the door, her clothes soaked with sweat. As she panted, she heard Jiuguang's mutterings.

"...Compared to your magnificent past, we are like children."

"Now you know how awesome your best friend is, huh?" Mingxiao laughed weakly. "This is killing me... I want to take a short vacation of fifty years... Hey Wenjun, are you feeling any better? Wenjun?"

Lu Wenjun lay motionless not far away. He had fallen when he went out and tried several times to get up but failed, looking like a pitiful fellow with a broken bone.

Mingxiao looked down at him silently. He looked up at the ceiling, the magnificent past flashing by, and now the familiar hospital room appeared before him again.

He was dreaming again, wasn't he?

As if struck by a sudden thought, Lü Wenjun chuckled softly. Hisamitsu couldn't help but question, "Lü Wenjun, what exactly did you see? You…"

Who is speaking? It's the nurse speaking.

The self-satisfied young nurse impatiently urged him on as the emergency call bell rang again. He had fallen off the bed while trying to pick up a book that had fallen to the floor. That's how he broke his bone, and the nurse was irritated by the work that was about to begin.

"I tried," he said softly. "I tried so hard...!"

Who approached him? It was the nurse.

The person with the beautiful chestnut hair, the one who tried to save him from death, the beautiful person he called "senior" in his fantasies. What a kind stranger she was, dragging this useless man along for so long. But he didn't look up, because he didn't want to see the nurse's expression.

Is it pitiful? Or is it pathetic? For someone who should have died young but still lives on in such an ugly way, endlessly creating trouble, indulging in fantasies to numb themselves, is such a useless person.

“Wenjun, I don’t know what you’ve been through,” the nurse said to her, “but you’ve already moved on from that time. You are truly living here.”

What a friendly fantasy, what considerate words! A dream so different from reality made him laugh self-deprecatingly.

"You're so kind, my dream lover. But how can I be sure?" Lü Wenjun laughed mockingly. "How can I prove that none of this is a dream—"

His thoughts were interrupted. The chestnut-haired girl bent down and gently embraced him.

He was at a loss, his face enveloped in a soft warmth. A warm voice resonated in his ears, the sound of a heart pounding with excitement from exercise. The girl's sweat streamed down his face, and he could feel the warmth of her skin, almost burning him. That real body heat entered his body, instantly dispelling the icy chill in his chest.

"Because I am here."

Mingxiao smiled at him. It was the confident voice he longed for.

"No dream created by any other life could possibly contain a life as vibrant as mine!"

That heartfelt confidence infected him, as if another gentle sun were embracing him. His blurred vision cleared again. He was looking at Mingxiao, his senior, the magician who had guided him into the world of magic. The person he admired and loved.

He is the magician Lü Wenjun.

Lu Wenjun fell silent. He slowly raised his hand to touch Mingxiao's cheek, touching that unattainable smile.

He blinked hard and lowered his head bitterly.

"I'm sorry, I showed you this embarrassing side of me..."

"Not satisfied?" Mingxiao nuzzled his ear. "Then how about showing some manly spirit? To be honest, I'm a little weak right now and haven't quite figured out that phantom spirit yet..."

Lu Wenjun took a deep breath. He looked up into Mingxiao's eyes, revealing his usual confident smile.

“I’ve figured it out completely,” he said. “Watch me take care of it in one go!”

Chapter 101 Let's Talk About My Ten Years of Hard Training (6K)

Lu Wenjun pressed his temples hard, as if trying to force his wandering thoughts back into his mind. He re-examined the chase from a realistic perspective—from the moment he entered the ward and encountered Kuang Ling, until Kuang Ling was blocked by Can Yang's room. He chewed over and analyzed every judgment, trying to grasp the designer's thoughts.

“First, let’s talk about the overall mechanism of the haunted house,” Lu Wenjun said. “The haunted house’s ability is to materialize a corresponding room based on the intruder’s fear, just like Hisamitsu’s dark room and my hospital room. When materializing, the haunted house can change the scene at will, so we will see that the corridor that used to have a path is blocked, and the hospital room corridor becomes a blood-red ghost place… But that’s not enough.”

"You were so scared just now, so don't try to act tough now, okay?" Hisamitsu said mercilessly.

“It’s not a matter of courage, but a matter of design,” Lü Wenjun said calmly. “Because there are limits to how the scenes in a haunted house can be changed. This kind of set can be forcibly dismantled, just like when the senior student smashed the floor. Newcomers will be met with sudden panic when they see the corresponding illusion, but soon their fear will turn into anger—that is, what is called being enraged.”

Just like when I first stepped into the hospital. He added in his mind. A pain of old wounds being reopened, an anger of privacy being violated.

"The designer of the haunted house did not intend for it to become a place for emotional catharsis, so he designed a corresponding mechanism."

"That's the Phantom Spirit."

Lu Wenjun pondered the performance of the mad spirit, its deliberate, almost mechanical words: "If the haunted house itself is the set, then the phantom spirit is the actor. It appears when the atmosphere is right, using sudden chases and bizarre performances to disrupt thinking, build tension, and further amplify fear. Like those classic monsters that draw power from fear, it uses this method to enhance fear and strengthen the haunted house, thereby creating the realistic illusion I experienced earlier."

"A large-scale assimilation barrier technique with feedback..." Mingxiao pondered, "Then what is the true form of the Phantom Spirit?"

He had already gathered enough information during the analysis. A foggy night, London, a woman who died tragically, and a serial killer—the clues were so obvious that even a layman could find the answer.

"Jack the Ripper, the most infamous tragedian of the Victorian era..."

Lu Wenjun loosened his fingers, and his eyes regained their clarity.

"Logically speaking, one might arrive at the above conclusion. However, Stiller Cooper is not a sane magician. He is a horror writer who prefers modern gore and thriller works to history and mythology."

What's so interesting about historical serial killers? Five murders are nothing in this day and age. We need something more brutal, more gruesome, something that will make you scream with horror—

Delusional thoughts create false scriptures.

"Therefore, that phantom is his original creation. Inspired by Jack the Ripper, it's the 'Pursuer' that appears in horror works." Lu Wenjun stood up and asserted, "That Pursuer has a total of four abilities!"

He ran into the corridor, repeatedly opening doors on both sides, peeking out briefly before immediately closing them again, as if searching for something. Mingxiao quickly stood up and chased after him, asking, "Are there that many?"

"First of all, there's its blade. Once you're cut, you'll temporarily lose your body. It's probably a technique created by emphasizing the 'organ theft' element from the original Ripper story."

"The second thing is its face. If you see its true face, you will fall into a hallucination. I was still rational when I was in the ward, but I was completely affected after seeing that face."

Lu Wenjun closed another door: "The third is the act of being chased by him itself! If the phantom appears behind us, our movements will be incredibly slow, like those idiots in horror movies who keep tripping and falling over while running. And one last thing..."

He voiced his final conjecture, prompting Mingxiao to question, "Is this really a skill? I feel it's more like a basic quality, isn't it?"

“You know what, I think Nerd guessed right,” Hisamitsu said thoughtfully. “That guy’s a horror writer, isn’t he? So he’ll definitely design this kind of thing. No horror movie fan can resist that kind of temptation!”

At this moment, Lü Wenjun let out a joyful cry. He seemed to have finally found his destination, but behind that door was just another ordinary yet terrifying room: skeletons, reptiles, a creaking wardrobe, and a windowless wall with blood-written words.

"Great!" he said cheerfully. "Senior, give me a hand, let's go to that room and move a cabinet. I only have one arm right now... Yes, the third door behind you... Done!"

He tore off the ruby ​​from his collar and handed it to Mingxiao. Mingxiao's eyes were blank, like a real rabbit's.

"Oh, so? Your... plan is?"

"Wait," Lü Wenjun gestured for silence, "then run."

·

A charred handprint appeared on the wooden door, the burning hand piercing through the door and gently turning the doorknob from the opposite side.

The pursuers finally broke free, shutting out the blood-red sunlight behind them.

The wounds on his face opened and closed repeatedly, inhaling and exhaling the magic within the building like breath. Then, his charred skin regenerated, his burned clothes rolled back, and the undead completed its regeneration in the ugliest way, like a lump of festering flesh clinging to the mortal world. He moved his wrists, searching for a target, searching for that captivating fear.

This building contains countless rooms existing simultaneously, countless different scenes overlapping on a single coordinate system. Cooper's ingenious ideas. Relying on his incredible mastery of models, he achieves real-time assembly, constructing the most exquisite breeding ground of terror. It was this fascination that led him to join Cooper's creation…

Or perhaps "joining" is also part of the story, and it was the writer's fantasy from the very beginning?

It doesn't matter. None of this matters. The debate between reality and illusion is a fallacy; what matters is only fear and joy. It locked onto its target among the countless overlapping squares, and "saw" the two people hiding in the lobby of the haunted hotel; the boy was reaching his hand towards the door.

laugh.

The mad spirit strode forward. Space shifted with its consciousness; a few of the infinite lines, which had been coiled and then straightened, were recombined in its vision into a tangible "environment." In the instant before it was about to materialize, it drew its blade, slashing into the lines that formed the wooden door.

The dagger easily tore through the wooden door, and the boy behind it recoiled as if electrocuted and fled. It peeked its face through the crack, laughing wildly!

"surprise!!"

The mad spirit's dagger cleaved a massive, axe-like gash, forcing its entire body into the opening. Wooden splinters pierced its face, drawing blood. The boy, using his remaining hand, dragged the woman away. "Run, senior! Don't look at him!!"

He was clever; he figured it out. But there was no escape. Yes. As long as he continued to pursue him, there was nowhere to run.

The mad spirit paced back and forth, sword in hand. It wasn't a fierce run, yet the distance between them steadily closed. Its footsteps echoed through the air, and countless eyes once again peered out from the cracks in the brickwork. The boy stumbled along, nearly falling over after bumping into a cabinet in the corridor.

The woman let go of his hand.

"Split up! Wenjun, let's split up and run!" "No!"

But the woman was already gone, turning away without a second glance at the corner. The boy screamed in terror and scrambled behind the nearest door. Mad Spirit chuckled softly; he knew the room had only one entrance, and the woman's was the only way out.

But it doesn't matter, every place here could be a death trap.

Mingxiao, who had been running, stopped. What had once been an incredibly long corridor now turned into a wall covered in blood-red words. Kuangling's shadow stretched longer and longer under the lamplight. As the dagger flashed, Mingxiao closed her eyes and turned back, the ruby ​​at her collar reflecting the light.

"—In the name of Jingyue Jiuguang, order that no one is allowed to attack me!"

The spell was activated, the intention projected. Magic from afar was conveyed through the voice, delivering an irresistible request to the Mad Spirit. The Mad Spirit's wrist froze, for he could not possibly raise his sword against the person before him.

That is a power far superior to his own, one that he could never contend with, even on his home turf!

"Alright, you finally fell for it..." Mingxiao sneered, "Let's see how you deal with me now!"

She clenched her right fist and punched out with all her might, sending the Mad Spirit flying against the opposite wall! The Mad Spirit, stiffened by the command, was powerless to fight back, and Hisamitsu's voice spread through his body like a virus.

It can be repaired. It can be overcome. The magic within the mansion is being skillfully adjusted and modified, but before those adjustments take effect, he will be defeated by the woman before him, and the nightmare of the mansion will thus come to an end—

“Very clever, Miss,” roared Mad Spirit. “See you later.”

Mingxiao kept her eyes closed, so she wouldn't be caught in the illusion; she wasn't being chased, so her movements wouldn't be slow; she relied on Jiuguang's voice to hinder the attack, so she didn't need to worry about the dagger. She had achieved a perfect seal on the Mad Spirit. But there was still one ability, a spell that couldn't be interfered with even after doing all this.

Mingxiao's punch missed, and the gray-clad figure in front of her vanished as if from a phantom. At the same time, a loud crash of shattering bricks echoed behind her, and Kuangling flashed into the depths of the corridor, slashing through the door of the guest room where Lü Wenjun was hiding!

Jump scare!

A sudden, unannounced scare, commonly known as a "surprise attack," is a vicious tactic. It involves a ghostly face suddenly appearing when the player is completely unprepared, or a monster abruptly appearing when the protagonist feels safe. Cooper has incorporated this technique, beloved by many horror enthusiasts, into the fourth ability of the Ghost Stalker:

When the target escapes the Berserker's sight, the Berserker will automatically learn its location and launch an unstoppable attack after teleporting. This attack will inevitably damage any obstacles between the Berserker and the target, reigniting the deadly chase!

"what--!"

A piercing scream, a trembling back, and that delightful scent of fear. Mad Spirit laughed loudly. He couldn't deal with the woman for the time being, but he could eliminate the boy first, and then deal with the arrogant fellow slowly!

Mad Spirit drew his blade, aiming for the boy's back. This strike would eliminate him, signifying the loss of courage and utter panic. With the confidence of savoring victory, he thrust forward, piercing a wisp of eerie blue will-o'-the-wisp!

"?!"

His gaze drifted away, landing on the ball of fire that had appeared out of nowhere. The boy rolled on the ground and got up, donning his old-fashioned white attire once more. His hard leg armor slammed into the boy's waist, sending the mad spirit flying to the other side of the room.

Lu Wenjun covered his hat with his only remaining left hand and called out without turning his head, "Senior, please!"

"Oh, the timing is really tight!"

A creaking sound came from outside the corridor as Mingxiao dragged a heavy wardrobe to block the door. The airtight room had no windows, and the only door was now sealed shut. So there was no entrance or exit, only two people facing each other directly.

Lu Wenjun closed his eyes and pointed with one finger at the Mad Spirit on the opposite side.

“The important thing is observation, isn’t it?” he said. “Those who see you will fall into illusion, those you watch will sink into the mire, and those you fail to observe will eventually come to your knife… So let’s just leave it at that, the simplest way to deal with it.”

"One room, two people, only the winner can walk out alive."