WTNL Chapter 334

Xingwang Hotel
Chaptet 334: Your talent for pissing people off is top-tier

Before Wen Jianyan knocked on the door, the Black Team had already reached the final stages of their progress.

For them, capturing No. 008 had now become the top priority.

As an confrontational split-faction instance, No. 008 was clearly the adhesive and central figure of the opposing Red Team. While No. 009, Bai Xue, was also ranked in the Nightmare’s top ten, the competition for the No. 08 slot followed specific rules within the Dream’s intent. As a supporter, even if the Red Team collapsed, Bai Xue wouldn’t die as a result. The conflict of interest between the two sides was far less intense.

Moreover, based on the Gentleman’s understanding of Bai Xue, he was not the type to particularly care about the life and death of other anchors, nor about which side ultimately won the instance. He was even less likely to step up and take the lead, replacing No. 008 as the Red Team’s new core figure.

But beyond all that, the most crucial reason was…

Since the Xingwang Hotel instance had begun, this was the first time the Gentleman had felt a genuine sense of threat from the Red Team.

Yes, a threat.

As the side with more resources, more experience, and even more information, the Black Team had been ahead from the start—several steps ahead, in fact. While the majority of anchors were still struggling to survive in the outer layer of the hotel, they had already delved deeper, even making contact with the instance’s core through certain means.

By all logic, the outcome of this battle should have been a foregone conclusion.

However, ever since the last time the lights came on—when they crossed paths with the Red Team and got tricked by a series of petty schemes—the course of events seemed to have gradually deviated from their expectations. From their exposure on the shopping street, to the Red Team’s unbelievably fast discovery of the Ghost Moth, and now this unexpected “ghost knocking on the door” incident…

Each instance seemed to be nothing more than a small trick, but by the time they realized what had happened, the gap between the two teams had already been effortlessly closed. And the culprit stood not far away, flashing them a teasing smile.

It wasn’t just the humiliation of being deceived—it was the deeper emotion beneath that anger, a feeling even the Gentleman himself was reluctant to acknowledge: unease.

For the first time, a clear realization dawned upon him—

This person was no longer an insignificant threat.

If they allowed him to continue, he might actually find a way to turn the tables.

He needed to be eliminated immediately.

“Chase him.”

The Gentleman gazed at the dim, overcast sky outside and issued the order with rare coldness in his voice.

Outside, the drizzle continued to fall.

Above, the sky was pitch-black, like a vast dome pressing down. The street stretched into the distance with no end in sight, flanked by desolate emptiness.

On the road, countless corpses staggered forward, their stiff limbs moving awkwardly as they wandered aimlessly. In the darkness, eerie, rigid smiles flickered in and out of sight, suffocating the atmosphere with an oppressive chill.

Wearing their masks, the Black Team left the framing shop.

They let the shop’s door swing open behind them—not out of kindness, nor out of any willingness to let the Red Team waltz in without a fight. Rather, as masked figures recognized by the instance as “ghosts,” they could not close the door. If they did, the rules embedded in the tightly sealed entrance would take effect, forcing them to reopen it involuntarily.

If one of them pushed the door shut and lost their mask, they would die on this street.

So, despite their frustration, the Black Team ignored the gaping entrance behind them. After all, as long as they caught No. 008, even if the Red Team managed to slip inside, it wouldn’t pose much of a threat.

Through the cold drizzle, Wen Jianyan’s swiftly running figure flickered ahead.

The Gentleman stared at his retreating back, his thoughts turning cold.

No mask. No human skin disguise. Yet he could run through this street unhindered, and all the wandering corpses ignored his presence. Clearly, whatever method he had just used did more than just nullify attacks. To be precise, he must have been temporarily granted some kind of non-human status, which allowed him to move freely.

Perhaps… a legendary-grade item?

If it was an item, then that made things much simpler.

The stronger a legendary-grade item, the shorter its duration. At most, it would only last a few minutes. If Wen Jianyan kept running like this, the effect would wear off soon enough.

No. 08 wasn’t stupid.

He wouldn’t be doing this just to escape—he must be trying to lure them out of the framing shop.

The Gentleman noted that they hadn’t seen a single other member of the Red Team so far.

This meant that there was a high probability of an ambush up ahead.

If the Red Team had any experience, they might even double back and launch a pincer attack—catching the Black Team between two fronts. This would completely overturn their numerical disadvantage, and if executed well, could even allow them to reverse the game entirely.

If they weren’t prepared for this possibility, even the most seasoned combat anchors could easily fall victim to it.

The Gentleman’s lips curled slightly into a smile.

“Don’t chase too closely.”

He instructed.

Beneath the heavy, dark sky, the rain intensified, further lowering visibility. Amid the roaming corpses, the Black Team maintained a careful distance from Wen Jianyan, keeping close enough to track him but far enough to remain cautious.

Black Team’s live broadcast room:

[Damn, this is ruthless. They’re not chasing directly but waiting from a distance for the item’s effect to wear off and just watching him die.]

[Finally, they’re being cautious. I’m relieved.]

[Of course! They’ve been tricked so many times already. Who knows if the opposing anchor still has some hidden cards or schemes? Instead of rushing in blindly, it’s better to wait for his item to expire—he’s bound to die anyway.]

Suddenly, Anise spoke up:
“The air smells… off.”

“…?”

The Gentleman was momentarily stunned and turned slightly to look at him.

Anise’ slightly bulging eyes darted around alertly, and his narrow nostrils flared rapidly. In a hissing tone, he said, “Too eerie.”

As a summoner capable of manipulating some of the supernatural forces within the instance, Anise’ sensitivity to ghostly auras was beyond ordinary—it was almost on par with that of a trained medium. This road, which only ghosts could set foot on, was already far eerier than anywhere else. But for Anise to make such an assessment at this moment…

The Gentleman immediately grew vigilant.

He abruptly turned his head to look at his teammates beside him. Whether it was a trick of the dim, rainy light or not, the two people running at the very front seemed to be…

Transparent?

“!!!”

In that instant, the Gentleman’s pupils shrank violently. Gone was his usual refined composure—his voice even cracked slightly as he shouted:

“STOP!!! EVERYONE, STOP IMMEDIATELY!!”

At that very moment, the two people at the front couldn’t stop in time and, carried forward by inertia, took another step forward—

The next second, their bodies dissipated like mist.

The rest of the team jolted awake as if struck by lightning in a dream and scrambled backward in terror.

The scene before them remained almost unchanged—still the same broad stone-paved road stretching into the distance, still the endless black rain, still the pale corpses wandering along the path.

The Gentleman’s chest heaved rapidly. His expression was unreadable as he lowered his gaze, staring at the spot where they had just stood—

On the stone pavement, several messy, dark brown footprints were imprinted, sending chills down his spine.

If it hadn’t been for Anise in their team and their exceptionally fast reactions, they might have all charged straight down that path, completely unprepared, and vanished into another world.

The “008’s back” that was supposed to be ahead of them had disappeared at some point.

Clearly, the opposing team had used some kind of item to create a back-view illusion, leading them step by step off the proper path—into a deadly trap. Then, that meant…

The next second, the Gentleman suddenly realized something. He jerked his head around and looked behind him.

Not far away, several figures were sprinting at full speed down the road—heading straight for the framing shop in the distance.

The Gentleman’s expression darkened so much that it seemed like it could drip ink. His voice was terrifyingly cold:

“Get back! We absolutely cannot let them return!!”

If they managed to get back into the framing shop and shut the door, they would be completely untouchable.

Though they had already fallen behind slightly, with the right items, it wasn’t necessarily impossible to catch up—

But just as they started running, the Gentleman and Anise suddenly noticed that the rest of their team seemed to be slowing down.

Their faces looked normal, but their eyes were slightly unfocused, and their steps were somewhat unsteady—like they were being subtly affected by something.

“Mental clarity potions? Quickly!”

The Gentleman gritted his teeth.

The team hurriedly redeemed and used the item as fast as possible, but by the time they were done, the opposing team had already widened the gap significantly. Through the pouring rain and endless darkness, only their shrinking silhouettes could be seen rapidly escaping.

Wen Jianyan activated a speed-boosting item and sprinted desperately forward.

This move was undoubtedly a huge gamble.

A head-on confrontation with the Black Team was impossible to win. Even if it was, Wen Jianyan didn’t want to take that risk—he hated direct combat. It was too dangerous, too terrifying, and far from his style.

So, he chose a very sneaky method.

Just like in Fantasy Amusement Park, he used a similar type of item:

An A-rank Polaroid camera, unlike the weaker D-rank version, could reconstruct not just a single frame, but an entire small space where simple movement was possible.

An A-rank clay doll, which could be shaped into larger and more flexible figures.

However, its facial features were hard to sculpt in fine detail. If viewed up close, it would be instantly recognized as a fake.

But Wen Jianyan had already predicted that after being tricked several times, the opposing team would be on guard against more traps. They would be cautious of an ambush and wouldn’t dare to get too close.

With the constant rain and the pitch-black sky, as long as there was enough distance, it would be hard to detect the deception.

This time, the people Wen Jianyan needed to fool were of much higher caliber than before. Their observational skills far exceeded those of his previous opponents.

So, to increase the success rate, he stationed his teammates at intervals along the road and had them activate their items simultaneously.

That way, they could achieve the exact effect Wen Jianyan envisioned—

To make the road veer ever so slightly off course.

Just a little.

As long as the decoy illusion stepped outside the real road, in that instant, the Gentleman’s team would start chasing something that wasn’t actually on the correct path.

And this road—one that did not exist in reality and defied all physical laws and common sense—would immediately begin to reject their presence.

Just like what happened to Blond before.

As long as they took even one more step forward…

They would completely enter the unknown darkness.

However, for high-level anchors like the Gentleman and Anise, even with such a well-laid trap, there was still a chance they could escape.

To be safe, Wen Jianyan had prepared a final trick up his sleeve.

Yun Bilan’s thorns.

Back at the entrance, when Wen Jianyan had looked at the thorns wrapped around him, he had quickly come up with this idea.

Without wasting any time, he conveyed his thoughts to Yun Bilan. Since the two had worked together before in Fantasy Amusement Park, Yun Bilan immediately understood what he meant.

Just like last time, the thorns were coated with a paralyzing toxin—one that took effect slowly but could penetrate the skin with even the slightest scratch, gradually working its way into the body.

The Gentleman and Anise were too cautious and kept their distance, making them difficult targets. However, the lower-ranked members of the Black Team who had gotten too close were not so lucky.

So, while most of the Black Team had avoided the first wave of danger, the toxin had slowed down the remaining few, giving Wen Jianyan’s team the perfect chance to escape—

As long as they created enough distance and entered the framing shop, where ghosts couldn’t force open the door, they would win.

Wen Jianyan let the freezing rain soak his face, too pressed for time to wipe it away. His lungs burned as he sucked in air, but he kept running, pushing himself to his absolute limit.

The [Holy Infant Remains] item had twenty seconds left.

If he didn’t reach the framing shop within those twenty seconds, his “Mother of the Ghost Infant” identity would disappear, and he would return to being human. If that meant simply being rejected by the road, then that was fine—but if not…

Then, he would become the target of every corpse wandering along the road.

Thinking of the stiff, white-faced bodies roaming the rain-drenched path, their terrifying smiles frozen in place, Wen Jianyan couldn’t stop a shiver from running down his spine. He forced himself to run even faster.

Ahead, the framing shop with its open doors loomed closer and closer.

Yun Bilan stood at the entrance, anxiously peering out. Even with a mask covering her face, her visible tension was unmistakable:

“Hurry!”

She looked from Wen Jianyan to the relentlessly pursuing Black Team members behind him, so anxious she could barely breathe:

“Faster!”

The [Holy Infant Remains] item had ten seconds left.

One by one, Wen Jianyan’s teammates rushed into the shop.

The [Holy Infant Remains] item had five seconds left.

Wen Jianyan stumbled forward, nearly tripping, but managed to throw himself inside.

Yun Bilan and Blond—who had been the first to enter—each grabbed a door, slamming them shut as fast as they could.

Before the Gentleman and his team could get close enough, a crisp “click” echoed through the air.

The doors were shut.

Outside, the endless rain continued to fall—drip, drip, drip.

The Black Team members stood at the entrance of the framing shop. They had stopped just in time, and no one dared to take another step forward.

If they moved even a little closer, they might lose control and instinctively push the door open.

After losing two teammates, they couldn’t afford another casualty.

Staring at the tightly shut door before him, the Gentleman’s face twisted in anger. For the first time, he cursed under his breath:

“Damn it!”

Inside the dark framing shop, the sound of labored, heavy breathing echoed.

Soaked to the bone, the group collapsed to the floor, too exhausted to even pick themselves up.

The door in front of them, though it appeared to be loosely shut, completely blocked out the sound of the rain outside. It was as if it had carved out a separate space, enclosing them within absolute safety.

In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:

[OOOOHHHHHHH!!!]

[Holy shit, you actually made it in at the last second!!]

[Damn, anchor, you’re a genius… I never would’ve thought someone could exploit the road’s rules like this. Even though the other team’s core members made it out, their overall strength definitely took a huge hit.]

[Gotta admit, out of all the high-level anchors I’ve seen, this one’s the most cowardly. Instead of confronting them head-on, he went through all that trouble just to lure them off the road. What a shame.]

[He pulled off a perfect one-for-one trade—tricking the Black Team’s anchors into leaving while sneaking himself in. Absolutely hilarious!]

[HAHAHAHAHA, did you guys see their reactions?! I’m telling you, if the anchor showed up in front of them right now, they’d tear him apart on the spot!]

[For real, they’d be out for blood! Hahahahahaha!]

[Especially the Gentleman. I’ve watched his streams for so long, and this is the first time I’ve seen him completely lose his composure and swear. Hahahahahaha! As expected of you, dogshit scammer—your talent for pissing people off is top-tier in Nightmare!]

Lying flat on his back, Wen Jianyan felt his soaked clothes clinging tightly to his skin, accentuating the rapid rise and fall of his chest. His wet hair stuck to his pale face, and through damp lashes, he stared blankly at the dusty wooden ceiling above him, gasping for breath.

Too tired.

He was too damn tired…

Not only had he needed to predict the Black Team’s decisions based on their behavioral patterns, but he also had to meticulously plan every step, leading them into his trap while preparing contingency measures for any unexpected developments…

It was exhausting.

Suddenly, at that moment—

A strange warmth spread from his hip, seeping through the fabric of his cold, damp clothes.

Unlike the heat he had felt at the shop entrance, which had helped him resist the road’s rules, this one was different.

He didn’t need words to understand what it meant.

Wen Jianyan’s eyes widened slightly.

Wu Zhu’s fragment was here.

Very close.

And judging by the sensation…

It was inside this very room.

Support me on Ko-fi

Join my Discord