I Got My Cheat Skill by Acting My Way into a Horror Protagonist Role Chapter 39

"Huff—"

For some unknown reason, Xiao Gui'an felt as though his five senses had been enhanced.

Every area of the residential complex seemed to have become toys under his control. As long as he paid careful attention, hiding players easily became completely exposed before him.

Was this the characteristic that 'Real Ghosts' possessed in the final round?

The entire residential complex was like a spider web, and the two 'Real Ghosts' were the spiders weaving this giant net, with their perception of prey caught in the web greatly enhanced.

Not wanting to directly encounter Xu Zisheng, Xiao Gui'an decided to stay downstairs for a while, pretending to wander around aimlessly.

He circled around the back and then stopped by the children's play equipment in the complex. Nearby stood a long-abandoned swimming pool and a small guardhouse.

Glancing down at the pool filled with debris, garbage, and fallen leaves, Xiao Gui'an could sense someone hiding beneath the ladder near the edge.

A decent blind spot. Generally, ghosts wouldn't specifically go around to the other side to check for people, easily overlooking that small area.

They picked a good spot, but—

They weren't calm enough.

He could tell they were trying their best to steady their nervous breathing, but it felt like their fear and terror levels were about to overflow.

Moreover, there was an unstoppable scent of blood.

If this continued, they would be discovered soon.

Xiao Gui'an thought for a moment, then lightly leaned against the play equipment. He decided to guard this place for now. Since he was waiting for someone anyway, where he waited didn't matter much.

『Not discovered—』

This thought sprouted in the hearts of the Tang sisters.

The two of them squeezed into the narrow space, trembling lightly from fear, their foreheads covered in cold sweat, their lips already pale.

The younger sister, Tang Ke'er, had long lost the composure she had when first entering the game. Her right thigh was almost completely chewed apart, with white bone visible, making movement nearly impossible.

The older sister holding her tightly was also in a wretched state, her previously broken arm covered in purple and blue bruises.

Due to accumulated blood, it had turned purplish-red, half of her arm swollen. She had numerous wounds all over her body.

They didn't have the ability to investigate the 'Real Ghosts' behind this game.

Surviving these last difficult two hours without being found was the greatest blessing heaven could grant them.

Those Ghost Children were truly terrifying, swarming up in hordes, tearing, scratching, and gnawing.

In these final moments, they could only count the time, guarding against ghosts that could appear from anywhere. It was undoubtedly an extremely torturous punishment, every moment filled with anxiety, a living hell.

Probably after they survived and left this instance, they would never want to hear the words 'hide and seek' again in their lifetime.

But Lady Luck didn't seem to favor them for long. Xiao Gui'an heard rustling sounds, a mix of long limbs and footsteps, accompanied by eerie, cold laughter.

Ghost Children were coming this way.

Several short, misshapen figures that couldn't maintain human form appeared before Xiao Gui'an.

The leader was actually the girl with pigtails from yesterday, though now half her face seemed to have been burned by a great fire, old and new dark skin twisted together, the corner of her mouth even carrying dark red bloodstains.

Her entire face was pitted and uneven like a mountain path, extremely ugly.

Her arms were broken segment by segment, flesh separated from bone, lightly held together by white spider silk. Both arms hung long on the ground, with obvious burn marks on them.

Following her was the girl with glass fragments. She stared with pupil-less eyes, her skin purple and blue, with eerie, crooked black patterns on her slightly bulging blood vessels. Numerous small spiders clung to her body.

The chubby boy who barely retained his original appearance, the previously sharp-faced, monkey-cheeked Ghost Child boy, and the eyeless boy they encountered at the beginning...

With one glance, Xiao Gui'an barely recognized many familiar faces.

The Ghost Children's mutation levels were already quite deep—flesh turned outward, bodies twisted, no longer human in form.

Xiao Gui'an gently tightened his grip on the gentleman's cane in his hand.

Smiling mask, smiling mask—

He didn't think this small group of Ghost Children gathered here to play on the slide.

The [Writer]'s tall, straight figure was extremely conspicuous. His jet-black hair fell down, a light white band covering his eyes, quietly leaning on his ancient wooden cane as if waiting for their arrival.

The originally menacing Ghost Children army came to a halt.

The pigtailed girl at the front hesitated.

After a long while, as if finally regaining her senses, she was the first to recognize Xiao Gui'an. She rotated her blood-crusted eyeballs, her burned mouth opening and closing, spitting out a few words.

"Wri... Writer sir..."

The [Writer]'s faint gaze accurately fell upon the pigtailed girl. He smiled lightly, appearing extremely gentle. "I hope you don't find this childish adult annoying. I occasionally want to reclaim my childhood..."

He still stood there like bamboo and cypress, showing no intention of moving.

This made the several Ghost Children looking behind him, itching to act, hesitate for a moment. Seeking advantage and avoiding harm was biological instinct.

Especially since Xiao Gui'an held a cane that looked like it could directly whip disobedient Ghost Children.

"Buzz, buzz—" Just as both sides were about to fall into a stalemate, a slow, squirming sound came from the residential complex entrance, chaotic and disorderly, giving the feeling of something being dragged with difficulty along the road.

Xiao Gui'an slightly turned, looking toward the patch of black shadow.

Many ghosts were coming, from outside the complex.

Judging by the sound, there seemed to be quite a number.

Like adult family members finally returning after working outside for several days, several male ghost figures emerged from the black shadows. They carried a deep sense of weariness, their Yin-cold aura particularly severe.

Xiao Gui'an watched with heart-pounding alarm.

Who would have thought that even after death, ghosts couldn't live properly and still had to work?!

Most of them followed the route and entered the Residential Building one after another, seemingly turning a deaf ear to the outside commotion.

However, two conspicuous figures staggered and stumbled toward Xiao Gui'an's direction.

Before the two ghost figures had fully approached, a heavy, foul stench of alcohol wafted over, mixed with the putrid smell of blood and flesh. A coughing sound like someone clearing phlegm came in waves.

"Gurgle, how many more times?... Do you have any... meat..."

"Isn't it still early this time?..."

The two male ghosts were like middle-aged men drowning in alcohol, leaving their wives and daughters at home, then vomiting their way back late at night, slowly crawling home.

One was pot-bellied, his shirt stained with a mix of blood and mud, a scar running across his entire face, eyeballs slightly bulging out. His neck was twisted at an unnatural angle, his throat constantly emitting unpleasant, piercing sounds.

The other ghost didn't look tall, even somewhat thin and weak. His eyes were completely bloodshot, eye sockets deeply sunken and dark. His yellowish-brown teeth were stuck with fine bits of flesh and blood, seemingly also carrying tobacco residue.

They seemed to automatically ignore Xiao Gui'an standing to the side.

Leaning down slightly to look at the group of Ghost Children, the thinner ghost took the lead, staring at them gloomily. "Hey, got any meat?..."

With just a simple question, the thin ghost seemed to fall into an unbearable state of agitation.

"No—"

"None..."

Unimaginable threads of fear and terror appeared in their eyes. They each lowered their heads.

Soft answers came one after another.

Strange—even though the aura of these Ghost Children was much stronger than the two weak ghosts before them, the several Ghost Children seemed quite afraid of him.

The spiders crawling on the ground also grew restless.

Xiao Gui'an took in this scene, his idle mind beginning to turn.

This didn't make much sense.

With a sound like molars grinding, the thin ghost raised his voice, turning into an extremely fierce roar. "None, none?!!..."

Just as he wanted to take another step forward, a brown cane blocked his path. The [Writer] still wore a gentle smile on his face, seemingly advising amiably,

Xiao Gui'an didn't dislike alcohol, nor did he dislike drinking. What he disliked were guys like the one before him who didn't know what they might do when drunk.

The putrid smell of alcohol—

So disgusting—

The thin ghost muttered fiercely, unclear what curses he was uttering. He shook the liquor bottle in his hand violently.

The sharp glass edge gleamed coldly, pointed at Xiao Gui'an, clearly indicating that if Xiao Gui'an meddled further, he would make him taste his power.

The ghost beside him also rolled up his sleeves, intimidating Xiao Gui'an.

Alcohol numbed living human brains, and similarly confused ghost brains.

Seeing Xiao Gui'an take no action, a strange greedy, ugly emotion appeared in the thin ghost's eyes. His expression turned ferocious and terrifying as he reached out an ugly large hand, attempting to grab the Ghost Children. "Come here, let me see!!..."

『New Daddy always touched me. His hands were oily and a bit prickly, making my arms hurt. He looked at me with that gaze again, kept looking, kept looking—』

『...Today, Daddy pushed the door open into my room. The door was locked...』

The monster's hand extended, on the verge of touching the pigtailed girl at the front.

The [Writer]'s eyes turned cold, thin lips pressed together. A high kick cleanly and neatly sent the fat lookout ghost tumbling down.

Then he raised his knee, striking the thin ghost's chin fiercely. The cane swung straight out, heavily hitting his head.

The sudden attack made the thin ghost lose strength and fall backward, collapsing to the side in a wretched state, the liquor bottle in his hand rolling away with a gurgle.

Before he could react, came the sound of flesh being pierced.

"My hand, my hand, aaaaaah..." The thin ghost's expression turned to terror and fear.

The [Writer] looked down at him from above, his gentle eyes filled with sharp coldness. For the first time, his voice turned cold, his aura becoming deathly still and terrifying, like an endless abyss.

Don't touch the children with your filthy hands. Can't you see they don't like it?"