Chapter 52 Part 3

Zhong Nian dodged it and glanced around, checking if its owner, the Priest, was nearby.

No sign of him. The vast Cathedral lacked the Priest’s presence, leaving the Little Goat like an untended stray following him.

But right now, he had no time for that. The quarter-hour was pressing.

They locked the Bald Man inside the same way as the night before and hurried away from the Church.

Zhong Nian glanced back at the Little Goat peering wistfully after him from behind the Church doors and pursed his lips.

The Masked Man quietly stepped beside him and murmured, “The Church is full of oddities everywhere. Better to stay away.”

Zhong Nian nodded.

Back at the Cabin not even ten minutes later, an accident occurred.

The Bald Man had actually escaped and returned.

Panting heavily, he burst through the door. Seeing the stunned room, he collapsed to the floor, wheezing like a broken bellows while laughing maniacally.

The Skinny Man pointed at him. “How are you back!!!”

“Why not?” The Bald Man spat a glob of bloody foam. “I didn’t break any rules. Survived past midnight in there and came back myself.”

But escaping in under ten minutes—untying himself, breaking out of the Confessional door, then navigating the perilous fog—was near impossible.

Yet no one had proof he hadn’t lasted until midnight.

Sending him back now was too late; the fog outside blocked the way.

Jie Jialiang glanced at the clamoring Skinny Man and rapped the table. “Enough. That’s it for tonight. We’ll deal with it tomorrow.”

Everyone returned to their rooms.

Zhong Nian had showered early and changed into pajamas. Before bed, he checked the doors and windows again.

This time, he noticed the candies on the windowsill had increased, with some other foods added.

They filled the outer ledge like a meticulously set beast trap. Even if baited with a Rabbit’s favorite hay and veggies, Zhong Nian wouldn’t fall for such an obvious ploy.

He drew the curtains tight without a gap, placed the Dagger securely by his pillow, and closed his eyes.

With the previous two nights’ experiences, Zhong Nian couldn’t fall asleep right away and stayed on high alert.

The night deepened. All the Players ceased activity, and the Cabin fell silent.

Until heavy footsteps echoed in the corridor.

“Thud! Thud! Thud!”

Whatever was outside dragged as it moved; the sound alone revealed its massive bulk.

Zhong Nian grabbed his knife and silently padded barefoot to hide in the blind spot behind the door.

Whether selecting prey or toying with them, the Devil outside prowled back and forth among the doors, hearts held in suspense.

In this agonizing suffocation, it finally stopped before one door.

“Knock knock.”

“Knock knock.”

It knocked—not rushed, but methodically eroding the prey’s nerves behind the door.

With Rabbit ears, Zhong Nian pinpointed the direction. He listened thoughtfully for a bit until the door-breaking and fighting noises started, then lay back on the bed expressionlessly.

Not his room, nor the Masked Man’s next door. Then it was fine.

But Zhong Nian relaxed too soon.

He covered his ears and shut his eyes when a voice sounded by his ear. “Not going to save them?”

Zhong Nian shot up like a spring, staring incredulously at the man who had appeared out of thin air by his bed. “You…”

The man wore a plain black robe that nearly blended into the night, but his eyes gleamed like a beast’s, fixed on cherished prey.

Zhong Nian willed his racing heart to steady. After a long moment, he found his voice again. While secretly gripping the Dagger, he asked, “Why are you here? Priest.”

The Priest smiled faintly at him. “To visit you.”

“Is that so… Thanks for the visit. You even ran over from the Church specially.” Zhong Nian glanced sidelong at the best escape route.

The man seemed to see through him at a glance. He leaned in close, forcing Zhong Nian into the corner against the headboard and wall.

Just then, commotion reached the corridor outside.

The unlucky prey had fled out and was pounding desperately on Jie Jialiang’s door next door for help.

“Not saving them?” the man asked again. “They sound so pitiful.”

Zhong Nian shook his head.

Something about that seemed to amuse him; the man chuckled lowly. “True enough. Too many humans don’t deserve to live. Better to become my food—at least useful that way.”

Zhong Nian stared coldly at the man.

“But, you’re a bit different.” The Priest lowered his voice a few more degrees, his high-bridged nose tip almost pressing against Zhong Nian’s cheek. “You smell so fragrant, so delicious, yet it makes me reluctant to take a bite.”

As the final sentence fell.

Zhong Nian wriggled out from the gap beneath The Man’s arm and fled under the bed at his fastest speed.

But he faced no ordinary person. The other’s reaction was inhuman; he effortlessly seized Zhong Nian’s ankle and dragged him back.

“Why run?” The Man pinned him down, his black pupils gradually shifting. Within the lake-blue irises, a black horizontal slit pupil reflected Zhong Nian’s face.

“Don’t you like this face?”

Zhong Nian bit his lower lip as he stared at the “Priest” before him. “I don’t like it.”

“Is that so? Then…” The Man’s face transformed, his unique voice like a bewitching chant that seeped into the soul.

Silver-gray hair replaced the black strands, scattering across Zhong Nian’s face. His features became even more youthful and handsome. “How about this original one?”

Zhong Nian’s cold, rigid expression didn’t change in the slightest.

“This one doesn’t work either? Alright then…”

The Man sighed. Finally, all human skin and flesh vanished, exposing eerie white bones that gradually shaped into a goat skull. At the same time, a pair of hard white jade goat horns sprouted.

He seized Zhong Nian’s trembling hand and placed it on his goat horn.

“Mine feels better than that Lamb Kid’s. Give it a try.”