Inside Room 103.
The expressions of the three people looked quite grim.
They hadn't expected that not long after Xu Xi went in, that white humanoid thing would actually come over.
It directly blocked the door to Room 106, and was even knocking on it.
Their plan had been disrupted just like that.
The Burly Man deliberately lowered his voice and said, "It seems that kid is in grave danger."
There was no trace of pity in his tone, only a cold certainty.
Hearing this, the Refined Man couldn't help but sigh. "Our situation isn't much better. If he doesn't open the door, that thing might just keep blocking the entrance to Room 106, and we won't be able to get out either."
The Burly Man thought, that's true.
He hoped that kid would be sensible and not drag them down here with him.
The High-Ponytailed Woman beside them had a complicated look in her eyes.
She wasn't feeling relieved. If she were in that situation, she still had the power to protect herself because she had an item obtained from the last instance.
She just wasn't sure if that young man had any life-saving type of items or something.
Perhaps it was intuition, but she didn't feel the other party would die so easily here.
——
Xu Xi stared at the knocked-upon door, his mind racing for a solution.
If he extinguished the candle, would the other party leave?
The answer was most likely no.
He had, after all, closed the door, proving the other party wasn't attracted by the candle.
Moreover, his goal was to lure that supernatural being inside and lock it in this room.
He had shouted loudly at the stairwell earlier without attracting the slightest bit of attention from this thing at the door, meaning the candle's attraction must be immense for it, even surpassing his voice.
As long as he made no sound, and after opening the door, let the other party notice the burning candle first...
Xu Xi decided to give it a try.
If he failed, he'd just start over again.
Holding these thoughts, he turned off the flashlight, stood before the door, slowly pulled it open while moving along with it, until his back was pressed tightly against the cool wall, the tip of his nose almost touching the wooden door.
An intense woody scent invaded his nostrils. Xu Xi held his breath, using his peripheral vision to observe the room.
Sure enough, after the white supernatural being entered, it headed straight for the candle on the nightstand on the other side, not even glancing toward the space behind the door.
Taking advantage of the other's back being turned, Xu Xi quickly emerged from behind the door and stepped out, pulling the door shut in one smooth motion. The next second, the key was inserted into the lock and turned, completely locking the other party inside.
The whole sequence was seamless and fluid.
[Damn, that solved it?]
[You could hide behind the door... why didn't I think of that?]
[Faced with such a sudden crisis, Master Xu Xi not only got himself out of danger but also completed the mission. I'm uncultured, I can only shout 'awesome'.]
[This on-the-spot reaction is insane. This is true adaptability, and his expression stayed calm the whole time.]
[Not just that, his guts are huge too. What if that thing could sense someone behind the door? Then it'd be over.]
[So Master Xu Xi was gambling?]
[He wasn't gambling. Xu Xi was certain that thing wouldn't sense him.]
[Huh? How so?]
[First, when Xu Xi loudly warned the three players on the second floor earlier, that thing completely ignored him, didn't even turn its head his way. Second, when that thing passed by Room 103, it was also only separated from the three people inside by a wooden plank door. Those three were fine. Xu Xi hid behind the door where it couldn't see him, plus there was a candle luring it on the other side. I bet even if Xu Xi sang a song behind the door, that thing wouldn't bother with him.]
[LOL, the supernatural being: My eyes only see the sweet, soft, fiery little candle.]
[Where are the haters? Come out, let's have a chat.]
[Sigh, we worried for nothing.]
——
Xu Xi had successfully escaped a desperate situation and completed his mission. He secretly gave himself a thumbs-up in his heart.
He told himself, among ordinary people, he was still considered one of the smart ones.
The three people in Room 103 had originally seen the door to Room 106 open. The Burly Man, in particular, thought the other party was about to sacrifice himself as he had predicted. To his surprise, he saw that after the white humanoid thing went in, another person flashed out two seconds later, and that person then proceeded to lock the door to Room 106 in one fluid motion.
Then, the young man he thought was surely dead turned and walked toward them without stopping.
The Refined Man was about to open their door when the Burly Man pressed down on his hand to stop him.
"Don't open it yet."
The Refined Man was taken aback and asked, "What's wrong?"
The Burly Man gave a cold laugh. "Who knows if he's still himself."
The words seemed abrupt and cryptic, but the other two understood immediately.
He was suspecting that the person who came out wasn't the original one.
"Such a short time is unlikely," the High-Ponytailed Woman couldn't help but frown.
"Caution is paramount in an instance. Unless he can prove he's himself," the Burly Man didn't yield an inch.
[??? Does this guy have some kind of illness?]
[Prove he's himself? I can prove I'm your dad.]
[Damn, suddenly reminded of that 'prove your mom is your mom' thing.]
[What's going on? Why keep targeting Master Xu Xi? The master didn't even provoke him.]
[My fists are hardening. This feeling of powerlessness, like I can't slap through the screen...]
Standing outside the door of Room 103, Xu Xi naturally heard every word the Burly Man said.
...So it's true, people really do laugh when they're utterly speechless.
Fine. Think he's a supernatural being, huh?
Xu Xi raised his hand.
*Knock knock knock—*
Clear knocking sounds rang out in the silent corridor. The three people inside instantly had their pupils contract sharply and shut their mouths tightly.
Time passed bit by bit.
*Knock knock knock—*
The continuous knocking made their scalps tingle.
Just as they began to think the Burly Man was right, that the usually silent young man had really been replaced by a supernatural being, a light chuckle suddenly came from outside the door.
"Idiots."
"Stay here by yourselves then."
Xu Xi turned on his flashlight. The bright beam pierced through the dark corridor. He turned and walked directly toward Room 101.
Did they really think he was a pushover?
He wasn't afraid of exploring alone.
Unhurried footsteps gradually faded into the distance. The expressions on the faces of the three people inside the room varied.
The one with the worst expression was undoubtedly the Burly Man, his face alternating between green and white.
[Gahahahahahaha, so satisfying!]
[Look at the Burly Man's expression, he's pissed hahahahaha]
[Burly Man: Oh no, I've become the clown.]
[Xu Xi: Entertainment has arrived.]
[Master Xu Xi is mighty. You think I'm a supernatural being? Fine, I'll play the part once, hhh.]
[Tsk tsk tsk, Burly Man, look at you. You weren't happy when he wasn't a supernatural being, and you're still not happy when he is one. So hard to please.]
[The master has quite a mischievous streak. By the way, was that the master's first laugh just now?]
[Also his first time cursing someone.]
[You managed to make Master Xu Xi laugh, to elicit his first curse. How can that not be considered an honor?]