Horror Game Designer Chapter 73: Abyss

“Every future is different, but they are all painful for me as they all despair to despair. Since the ending is decided, I need to take care of those who want to push me into the abyss before I reach my destination.”

Gao Ming handed the designed game proposal to Wei Dayou. He looked at the sun set. Night arrived. Gao Ming told Wan Qiu a few things and then left with a black umbrella. Avoiding the old cameras, Gao Ming entered Building 2. He stood at the entrance and took out the death portrait that featured the ugly doll. Gao Ming knew from An An how to trigger the picture. He looked at the picture and felt himself to feel fear until the ugly doll came out of the picture.

Shadow undulated. Gao Ming’s first game had begun. The lights flickered. The couplets by the doors seemed to bleed. Everything could invoke fear. The shadow from another world crawled everywhere. It crawled into the rooms of every tenant in Building 2.

“The shadow in this picture of Fear Illness is limited. For now, it can only cover four floors…”

Each picture could be strengthened through sacrifice, but Gao Ming didn’t have that plan for now. Gao Ming walked up the stairs, and everything was silent. Gao Ming took out the picture of Si Sui Apartments. He tried to communicate with Granny Shen inside the picture, but it was to no avail. In the end, he injected the God of Flesh and Blood’s presence into it, and he got the response. One arm reached out. Auntie Busybody walked out of the picture alone. Instead of saying she was summoned, it was more like she was curious and wanted to come out to take a look. The shadow spread further. Using two death portraits, Gao Ming finally managed to drag the entire Building 2 into the shadow world.

“Sister, I need a favour.” Gao Ming said sweetly.

“Did you just move here? Do you want to greet the neighbours? Shouldn’t you prepare some presents?” Auntie Busybody rambled. She was curious about everything, but she was not a bad person.

“I need you to stay on the first floor for now and then follow my instructions.” Gao Ming had to communicate with Auntie Busybody for a long time before he could explain the full plan. After ensuring there was no mistake, Gao Ming touched his heart. This was his first time trying to have the God of Blood and Flesh leave his heart room. The giant body brought with it a terrifying presence. People would be frightened in its presence. Once the God of Flesh and Blood left Gao Ming, he felt like his heart was empty. Tiredness, pain, and all kinds of negative emotions appeared in his mind.

“We are one. It’s not good being separated for too long.”

Resisting the overload of negative emotions, Gao Ming ran to the fifth floor. He found An An and wanted to play a roleplaying game with him. About 10 minutes later, a shout came from inside the building. The door opened, and someone raced down the corridor. The silence was shattered. Sounds of footsteps, knocking and screaming echoed throughout the building.

“It looks like someone has already been infected by the Fear Illness.”

Soon, someone knocked on Zhao Xi’s door. The honest Zhao Xi opened the door. His sister-in-law, Li Li, carried her son and stood at the door with Zhao Xi’s adopted mother, Zhao Yuan. They looked like they had just seen a ghost.

“Zhao Xi! The building is haunted!” Zhao Yuan’s lips were pale. “I just saw your little brother. But his body started to bleed as he walked. He questioned us why we didn’t save him, and then flesh fell from his face!”

Zhao Xi became scared too. Gao Ming beside him was perfectly calm. Fear Illness would highlight the thing the person was scared of the most.

“Don’t listen to your mother! Your brother has lost his mind! He escaped from prison with a knife. He is now inside the corridor. He said he was going to kill the child and me!” Li Li shouted.

Fear Illness spread. The tenants were affected. More people ran upstairs. They gathered on the fifth floor.

“What is going on the first floor? There’s a ghost about 3 meters tall standing at my door!” Room 2101’s Wang Kuisheng scolded. “If I didn’t run, I would be dead now!”

“My girlfriend, who died in the car accident, suddenly came back. She was cooking in the kitchen, boiling her hair!” Room 2408’s Fang Shuqi shouted.

“My dead family also knocked on my door, calling me out for not burning them paper moment.” Room 2203’s Xiao Qiu shook. “The Hungry Ghost Festival is already over! Why are they still coming back?”

“If you don’t do anything wrong, you won’t be so scared.” An An grumbled under his breath, but the adults still heard him. He hid behind Gao Ming.

“Who are you? You don’t live here!” Wang Kuisheng glared at Gao Ming, “Are you related to the giant ghost on the first floor?”

“I’m a psychiatrist. I’m here to help Brother Zhao.” Gao Ming picked up An An. “We don’t know anything about ghosts. Are you crazy?”

“You even have the money to hire a psychiatrist?!” Li Li looked at Zhao Xi with resentment, “What a waste!”

Zhao Xi was used to be scolded.

“This happened when you two came here?!” Wang Kuisheng called the neighbours aside to discuss something without Zhao Xi and Gao Ming. Gao Ming knew what Wang Kuisheng was discussing with the neighbours. He also knew why Wang Kuisheng was targeting him and An An. This was all part of the game. After he released the God of Flesh and Blood, he left behind a bloody message on the wall of the stairs between the first and second floors, blood for blood. Sacrifice me a live person, and one live person can leave.

Wang Kuisheng, who lived on the first floor, and Xiao Qiu, who lived on the second floor, would have seen the message. They wanted to use Gao Ming and An AN as sacrifices.
Under the influence of Fear Illness, everyone exposed their true nature. Wang Kuisheng, who wanted to live, didn’t care about Gao Ming and An An’s lives. Due to Gao Ming, Zhao Xi was isolated too. The scariest thing was his adopted mother and sister-in-law also told him nothing. After the discussion, Wang Kuisheng, as the representative, walked to Gao Ming and Zhao Xi. “We’ve lived here for decades, and nothing happened. When you came, this happened. If you want to prove this really has nothing to do with you, come with us to topple the figurine of the giant ghost.”
“Aren’t you afraid?” Gao Ming was really calm. He wanted to give these people a chance. If they were willing to stand with Gao Ming, everyone could survive.

“What’s the point of being scared? We have to escape.” Wang Kuisheng’s eyes darted about. “You walk in front cause the ghosts are here because of you!”

Zhao Xi felt like he had implicated Gao Ming and wanted to say something, but he was stopped by Gao Ming. Gao Ming turned to Zhao Xi, “I don’t mind it, but Zhao Xi has lived here for so long. He often helps you out. You might not believe me, but do you also doubt Zhao Xi?”

The other neighbours said nothing, but Zhao Xi’s family’s silence spoke volumes.

“Fine, we’ll walk in front.” Gao Ming patted Zhao Xi’s shoulder. His gaze on Zhao Xi was dark. When the ghosts came, the people whom he once helped didn’t help him back.

Holding An An’s hand, Gao Ming walked to the front. Zhao Xi followed him. The rest stayed a safe distance from them. They moved down the floors. Gao Ming and Zhao Xi soon came to the corner of the second floor. They continued forward and eventually saw the bloody message on the wall.

Zhao Xi instantly realised something was wrong. He wanted to warn Gao Ming, but someone rushed from behind at that moment!

The male neighbours had been waiting for them. They worked together to push Gao Ming and Zhao Xi down the stairs. The two of them crashed into the figurine.

“They are your sacrifice!”

Wang Kuisheng never thought of resisting. He ran past the figurine. How could humans fight ghosts?

The former death memory appeared in Gao Ming again. But he felt no pain this time.

“I gave you another chance to survive. You insisted on jumping into the abyss.”