208 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

## Chapter 208 Chen Wan ignored the man with the black-framed glasses. His face was gloomy, and she had no desire to engage with him further. The Cang Long Jiu Ba had generously prepared their food. The table was laden with mutant beast meat alongside a variety of stir-fried dishes. Chen Wan consumed a considerable amount of mutant beef to replenish her strength and drank a bottle of pure water. Qin Ke also ate as much as she could. Although her time in the beast fighting arena hadn't been long, the abrupt outburst of killing zombies had drained her energy significantly. She was truly hungry by now. After eating her fill, Chen Wan found a place to sit and rest. She connected with Yi Yi in her mind, "Yi Yi, how's it going on your end?" "Qi Jing and Huang Li Li are on their way to the first district. They must still be on the road. How are things on your side?" Yi Yi inquired. "For now, everything's fine. This Cang Long Jiu Ba set up a Mobius game. If we clear it, we get to meet their gang leader. We've just finished the first round. I plan to clear the game and meet their leader, buying time for reinforcements from the first district," Chen Wan explained the general situation to Yi Yi. "Be extremely careful then, and keep in touch if there's danger," Yi Yi advised. After all, outside of those, she and Shen Ming Yan still had considerable combat strength. If it came to a crisis and the first district people were too far away, only she and Shen Ming Yan could step in. "Don't worry," Chen Wan replied. While speaking with Yi Yi, an hour passed, and the guards arrived in the basement's fourth-level cells again, bringing a hush to all those inside. Following instructions, the guards took the 13 participants for the second round of the game out of the cells. Everyone in cell 148 moved outside, while those in other cells started whispering to each other. "Aren't they just brought back? Where are they off to again?" "I heard they're going to the second round." "The second round? Isn't that a death sentence? These people must have a death wish." Amid the murmurs, Chen Wan and her companions followed the guards steadily out the door. The alphas in the opposite cell were already beginning to regret choosing the second round in a heat of the moment. The guards led the way, taking Chen Wan and her group to the basement's fifth level. Chen Wan was surprised to find there was even a fifth level, which filled her with unease. Being above ground, even if escape seemed impossible, one subconsciously knew of windows or vents leading outside. But here underground, all was sealed — beneath layers of soil, the only way was upward, layer by layer with no other choices. Arriving at the fifth level, Chen Wan and the others found themselves in front of a large door, closed and mysterious. The guards instructed them to stop, distributing black blindfolds to each and tying their hands with ropes once more. Chen Wan’s vision was enveloped in darkness by the blindfold, and the harsh rope tied her hands. She loudly questioned the guards, "What are you doing?" "We're following the rules. The initial positions for everyone in the second game need to be separated. The goal is to find the door labeled 'exit', get the key, and get out to clear the stage. Don't worry; we'll lead you in safely, and when you hear the starting sound, you can remove your blindfold," one guard explained, pulling on the rope as if to lead Chen Wan somewhere. "Qin Ke, Si Yu, be careful. Find a way to meet up," Chen Wan called out loudly as she walked. "Don't worry," Qin Ke replied. "I will. As soon as I'm freed, I’ll look for you," Wei Si Yu said. With her hands bound and vision blacked out, Chen Wan felt a pang of fear. The human fear of darkness is instinctual, and combined with her unfamiliarity with the surroundings, she relied on her hearing to gauge the situation around her. After roughly ten minutes navigating the winding corridors, Chen Wan could no longer determine direction and felt utterly lost. The person leading her stopped her against a wall and instructed her to stand still. "We’ve arrived. In about five minutes, the instruction to start the game will sound. Only then can you remove the blindfold. Remember, removing it early leads to execution under the rules, and you can't destroy any cameras here. Other than that, you're free to act as you wish. I'll untie your wrists now," the guard instructed. Chen Wan nodded as the pressure on her wrists eased, a sign of her release. The guard pressed a cold object into her hand—likely a flashlight. Soon, the sound of footsteps receded; the guard who had led her away was leaving. The noise grew fainter and eventually disappeared. Leaning against the wall, Chen Wan listened to the corridor's dull winds, mingled with the not-so-fresh scent of blood. The fifth basement level shouldn't have much wind, she mused, puzzled by its source. Remaining wary, she didn't dare move, knowing that the game rules established a temporary safety before its commencement. Finding solace in the fact that Qin Ke and Wei Si Yu were with her, Chen Wan felt reassured. Qin Ke shared similar experiences, adept at handling emergencies, and Wei Si Yu, as one of the novel's protagonists, wouldn’t easily perish—thanks to the protagonist's halo. Thus, she knew her allies should be safe. With the blindfold obscuring her vision, each passing second felt agonizing. Eventually, the long five minutes elapsed, and an eerie, metallic voice sounded from the loudspeakers: "First round, haunted house game begins. Remember to find the keys from various places to leave. Good luck making it out before you die." Grabbing the blindfold from her head, Chen Wan messily adjusted her slightly disheveled hair. In the dim corridor, tinged with a greenish hue that evoked gloom and terror, Chen Wan adapted to the low light for several seconds before barely making sense of her surroundings. She turned on her flashlight, examining her immediate vicinity. Recalling the theme of the first round, ‘haunted house,’ Chen Wan shone the light on the wall beside her, revealing a series of patient rooms. The corridor was sporadically littered with patient trolleys, and the walls and floors bore faded bloodstains. Chen Wan knew there were no ghosts. This game was merely a spectacle to watch them succumb to extreme dread and die; a testament to the twisted mind designing this haunted house game. Approaching the bloodstains, Chen Wan crouched down, using a stray piece of paper to dab the blood on the floor slightly, sniffing it. Much as she suspected, it was human blood — but spilled a long time ago, as the stains had darkened. An icy breeze blew past Chen Wan’s back, the doors in the corridor opening and closing with a creaking sound that pierced the silence. Tossing the paper aside, Chen Wan straightened up, determined to unearth the sinister forces behind these methods. Meanwhile, back at the recent fighting arena, four massive screens were suspended mid-air, streaming the live events of the haunted house on the fifth level. Eager spectators watched intently. Those who provided the most supplies got to choose which participant’s perspective they’d follow throughout the game. Two with ample resources selected Chen Wan, leading both northern and southern screens in the arena to display her progress. The western screen showed the man with black-framed glasses, while the eastern one tracked Qin Ke. As for the other participants, a series of 54-inch televisions at the back of the stands showed their respective scenarios. Unbeknownst to Chen Wan, outside interest centered greatly on her. While aware the area was riddled with surveillance cameras, she couldn’t destroy them, bound by rules. Suddenly, from an unknown patient room came a woman's sobbing—whispering like a curse invoking doom. Chen Wan scoffed, casting a glance toward the corridor’s row of patient rooms. Without hesitation, she headed for the first one, knowing the precarious situation required a calm mind—each room held potential clues to escape. She didn't hold back, kicking the door to the first patient room decisively. Her pent-up anger lent strength to her kick, causing the door to shatter. Behind the door stood a man with a garish, ghostly makeup, eyes gleaming with bloodthirsty excitement. Meeting Chen Wan’s gaze, he swung a steel knife down towards her with fervor. Chen Wan had already noticed the man and evaded his attack with a swift sidestep. With a deft move, she grabbed and dislocated his right arm, causing the steel knife to crash to the ground with a clang, accompanied by the man's pained scream—far more miserable than the woman’s cries in the hallway. Ignoring his agony, Chen Wan dislocated his other arm as well and picked up the steel knife. At that moment, a man lying on a hospital bed, previously pretending, couldn't keep up the act any longer. His face was painted pale, with ominous bloodstains on his hospital gown. Clutching a chainsaw, he powered it on and charged at Chen Wan, seemingly intent on slicing her to pieces. Chen Wan hurled the man at the chainsaw-wielding attacker. The chainsaw man couldn’t retract in time as Chen Wan swiftly maneuvered to his rear, delivering a powerful kick to his neck, sending him to join his companion on the floor. With both men down, Chen Wan glanced around the room to ensure no one else was inside. Only then did she use her flashlight to start searching the room.