Xingwang Hotel
Chapter 306: Die sooner or later
…It was getting closer and closer.
Not far ahead, the crooked door was already within reach, gaping open in the dark.
Out of the corner of Wen Jianyan’s eye, he glanced to the side, and his heart nearly stopped beating.
In the rain, a distinct “hollow” stood not far away, gradually approaching in his direction.
Damn, it’s the “guest”!
His breath caught, and he instinctively halted his steps, carefully avoiding a puddle on the bluestone path ahead.
Perhaps because it had not continuously tracked his location, the “hollow” in the distance slowed down momentarily.
But at the same time, beneath the umbrella, the pale hand gripping the handle became increasingly distinct. The reflection in the water also grew sharper. What started as a vague black shadow eventually took form—revealing the short stature of a small child.
“…”
Wen Jianyan pressed his lips tightly together, his eyes clouded with a somber glint.
His earlier reckless behavior, prioritizing speed over caution, was not without results. By exposing his location in the water, he had lured the “guest” to chase after him. Taking advantage of this, Wen Jianyan finally understood the direction of the “hollow” and the distance between it and himself.
However, this realization also put him in a dilemma.
Wen Jianyan estimated the distance between himself and the house and felt his heart sink.
Based on the rate at which the hollow expanded and the figure beneath the umbrella solidified, Wen Jianyan could draw only one conclusion:
If things continued as they were, he couldn’t balance both.
If he advanced cautiously, the “guest” would be unable to pinpoint his exact location. However, this would inevitably slow him down. Even if he didn’t get caught by the guest, he would be killed by the increasingly solid figure beneath the umbrella. On the other hand, if he moved at full speed, disregarding whether he stepped into puddles, he could reach the shelter of the dry eaves before the figure beneath the umbrella became fully clear. But doing so would expose his location and allow the “guest” to catch him.
…What should he do?
He had to make a decision now.
Not far away, Bai Xue walked in the rain with an umbrella, raising his eyes to look at Wen Jianyan.
Strangely enough, even though they had left the two-story building at the same time with umbrellas, the terrifying shadow that was beneath Wen Jianyan’s umbrella was absent from Bai Xue’s umbrella. Instead, his surroundings appeared eerily normal.
Through the curtain of falling rain, Bai Xue’s raised eyes seemed even darker and more sinister, focusing intently on the figure of the young man not far away, as if calculating something.
In the rain, Wen Jianyan’s silhouette stood straight.
Looking at the reflection in the puddle on the ground, a cold and indistinct small figure seemed faintly visible beside him, appearing particularly ominous in the rain.
Although Wen Jianyan’s walking speed had visibly increased, he had not yet reached the point of running recklessly.
Because of his hesitation, the shadow beneath the umbrella was steadily becoming clearer.
Bai Xue lifted his gaze, his empty eyes fixed on the hollow as though perceiving something invisible to others.
At this pace, before reaching the shelter of the eaves, “it” would appear and claim the life of the person holding the umbrella.
What’s worse, the uneven distribution of potholes on the bluestone road made it extremely difficult to avoid puddles completely. It required slower speed and more careful observation. Although Wen Jianyan’s pace was cautious, it was still not cautious enough.
Even with great care, he would occasionally step into a puddle accidentally, splashing water and exposing his location.
The “void” in the rain continued to speed up intermittently and never fully widened the distance between them.
His speed wasn’t fast enough to stop the shadow beneath the umbrella from manifesting.
Nor did he leave himself enough time to be cautious, making it impossible to completely avoid the distant guest’s pursuit.
He hadn’t made a “decision.”
Bai Xue lowered his eyes.
Disappointed?
Not really.
In such a situation, this was the most common reaction.
Few people would willingly make the decision to throw themselves into the jaws of one ghost to escape the clutches of another. Most would prefer to gamble on the possibility… After all, when faced with such threats, many people would cling to a shred of wishful thinking.
What if?
What if he manage to reach the eaves in time before anything happens?
What if the speed of the shadow under the umbrella isn’t as fast as he imagine? What if he can remain cautious enough to avoid stepping into the puddles without slowing down?
But unfortunately.
No one understood the ultimate outcome better than Bai Xue.
It was absolutely impossible to succeed.
【Probability: 0】
If he didn’t abandon his illusions and decisively make a choice—judging which of the two threats was less lethal and taking immediate action—he would end up in this situation.
It was almost over.
Based on experience, in about fifteen seconds, Wen Jianyan would be attacked by both ghosts simultaneously.
At this rate, the first to appear should be the child under the umbrella. Three seconds after that, he would officially step into the dangerous range of the “guest.”
Although there was a slight time difference, it no longer mattered.
In an instance of the difficulty level of Xingwang Hotel, ghosts that had activated their killing patterns were almost impossible to stop with items sold in the system shop. To survive, one would either need high-difficulty items from equally advanced dungeons or rely on innate talents.
If there were only one ghost, the situation could still be managed with a relatively low cost.
But with two, the danger wasn’t just doubled… In such circumstances, unnecessary consumption of resources would be devastating.
The next second, Wen Jianyan suddenly released his grip and turned to run!
In that instant, the air seemed to freeze.
A bizarre scene unfolded.
Beneath the human-skin umbrella, there was nothing. Yet, strangely, without any visible support, it floated in midair.
The area beneath the umbrella was shrouded in darkness. The already dim light was further obscured by the umbrella’s canopy. In the faintly rippling puddle below, two figures—one large, one small—stood eerily still. Their pallid faces were turned toward Wen Jianyan, their features indistinct. The only thing clearly visible was the unnaturally high, rigid curve of their mouths.
Cold, piercing rain pelted down on Wen Jianyan, soaking him to the bone.
With the loss of body heat, his vitality seemed to drain away as well.
But it didn’t matter.
He was now very close to the small building. The open door was within reach.
Wen Jianyan gritted his teeth. His vision was blurred by the rain, but he had no time to wipe it away. He pushed himself forward, speeding up as he charged toward the door!
Just one more step!!
The eaves above blocked the falling rain.
The sound of the drizzle instantly faded away.
As if his strength had been completely drained, Wen Jianyan’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.
Rainwater dripped from his soaked body, forming a puddle beneath him.
Outside the house.
The rain continued to fall, creating ripples in the puddles.
Bai Xue stood still, holding his umbrella.
Through the hazy rain, an expression of rare astonishment appeared on his otherwise impassive face.
He raised his gaze, his eyes fixed on the void, as though scrutinizing something unseen.
What was going on?
Why had this situation occurred? How could such an obviously suicidal act possibly succeed?
Bai Xue didn’t understand.
Based on all the information provided in this dungeon so far, Wen Jianyan should never have made such a move.
Even if he had, it should not have worked.
There was a missing logical chain, a critical piece of information absent, as though an impossible leap had been made.
Probability: 0.
In Bai Xue’s memory, this was the first time anyone had broken through the framework of “probability.”
His fingers, tightly gripping the umbrella handle, twitched nervously—a compulsive, mechanical motion. It was as if he were groping through a deck of cards, calculating their probabilities, one by one.
Thank you so much for translating! Haha wen wen cheats his way out every time, but through tears.