You made all the streamers on the internet kneel before you when you were asked to make a game.

The official forum of the Nebula platform was instantly flooded with countless players' cries of despair and angry curses.

Of course, you can still go offline by forcibly disconnecting the power or neural connection.

However, the cost of doing so is that the account will be forced to cool down for 250 hours, and all items and ghost money will be cleared.

This is unacceptable to players who have already paid a "bloody price" in this hell.

Happiness Apartment, Room 404.

Hao Ren enjoyed the wailing and howling on the forum and took a satisfied sip of coffee.

This is exactly the effect he wanted.

Just now, he exhausted his fright points and upgraded the [Ghost Wall Logic Module] from basic to advanced.

Advanced "ghost wall" scenarios are no longer simple, repetitive loops.

Instead, it can be calculated in real time, dynamically generated, and even create spatial paradoxes that will drive players to the brink of collapse, based on their psychological state.

For example, a player with a fear of heights might find that no matter which way they go, they will eventually end up on the tallest clock tower in the village.

A player with claustrophobia will keep moving from one narrow alleyway to an even narrower one.

"That's about it."

Hao Ren chuckled mischievously, watching the fright level rise steadily, feeling that the time was right.

If this continues, it might really drive a group of players crazy and cause unnecessary trouble.

He had an idea and left a "way out" in this labyrinth of despair.

One, a "gateway to life" that can only be found through special means.

……

After leaving the paper shop, Lu Zhixing did not fall into the "ghost wall" predicament like the other players.

The owner of that paper craft shop seemed to have granted him some kind of exemption.

He could clearly discern the direction of the village.

But he did not flee immediately.

It's clear that he can't escape this village on his own.

That village chief, and the zombie king in the well of the ancestral hall, are the sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of all players.

If this root cause isn't addressed, everyone will die.

He needs help.

One, an ally capable of defying the "rules".

Lu Zhixing quickly thought of someone.

Berserk Dragon Bro.

The only man in the entire village who turned a ghost into his "wife".

Following his memory, Lu Zhixing found the "wedding room" with red lanterns hanging at the entrance of the village.

He saw Brother Long sitting at the door, sighing.

Brother Long's left hand and the ghost bride's right hand were still tightly sewn together with red thread.

Behind them stood two expressionless paper bodyguards.

"Brother Long."

Lu Zhixing walked over.

Brother Long looked up and was somewhat surprised to see that it was Lu Zhixing.

"Cult Leader? You're not dead yet?"

"It was a stroke of luck," Lu Zhixing said succinctly. "I need your help."

"Help me?" Brother Long chuckled self-deprecatingly, shaking his sewn-up hand. "Do I look like someone who can help others?"

"Only you can help."

Lu Zhixing told Brother Long everything he had discovered in the ancestral hall and the information he had received from the paper shop owner.

After listening, Brother Long's expression changed from disdain to shock, and then to solemnity.

"You mean, that old village elder is raising poisonous insects?"

"Raised as a pet, or rather, a zombie king?"

"That's right." Lu Zhixing nodded. "Once the Zombie King awakens, we're all doomed."

"The only way is to destroy the feng shui eye of the ancestral hall, which is the well, before it is fully awakened."

Brother Long fell silent.

He may be reckless, but he's not stupid.

Trying to force your way into a shrine guarded by a village chief and countless "ancestors" is tantamount to suicide.

"We can't beat them," Brother Long shook his head.

"We can't beat them." Lu Zhixing looked at Brother Long with burning eyes, "But ghosts can."

Brother Long was stunned for a moment, then instantly understood what Lu Zhixing meant.

Drive away the tiger to devour the wolf!

"You mean...?"

"The night watchman who enforces curfew," Lu Zhixing revealed his plan.

"It is the strongest fighting force in the village, apart from the ancestral hall."

"Moreover, it doesn't seem to be part of the same group as the things in the ancestral hall."

"We'll lead them to the ancestral hall and let them fight like dogs."

Brother Long's eyes lit up.

This plan is bold and crazy, but it is extremely feasible!

"How do we lure it?" Brother Long asked.

Lu Zhixing glanced at the two paper figures behind Brother Long.

"Use them as bait."

……

At this time, Hao Ren encountered a small bottleneck.

The word-of-mouth for "Reincarnation" is amazing.

The concept of a Chinese-style open-world horror game has shaken the game industry in the Federation.

The total amount of fright points is also accumulating at a terrifying rate.

But Hao Ren discovered a problem: the increase in the fright value began to slow down.

He accessed the backend data analysis, for a very simple reason.

The threshold for "Reincarnation" is too high.

The oppressive, despairing gameplay that requires mental effort and even the sacrifice of "humanity" has deterred a large number of casual players and players with "heart conditions".

They watched the live stream with great interest, but they would never dare to participate themselves.

This leads to an excessive concentration of fear points on core players like Brother Long and Lu Zhixing.

The coverage is not wide enough.

"Hmm...it's time to harvest some韭菜 (a metaphor for exploited investors)."

Hao Ren stroked his chin, lost in thought.

He needs a "beginner" product that is quick, easy to use, but extremely scary.

It's like a starting point.

It allows timid players to unknowingly step into the abyss of Chinese-style horror.

Ideally, we should make use of their fragmented time.

For example, on the way to and from get off work, during lunch break...

A classic scene flashed into Hao Ren's mind.

bus.

An enclosed, mobile space filled with unknown passengers.

This is practically a natural stage for horror.

A new plan quickly took shape in Hao Ren's mind.

[Game Title: Midnight Bus]

Alternative title: Last Train No. 444

[Game Genre: Short Thriller, Rule-Based Puzzle]

[Single game duration: 15 minutes]

[Core Gameplay: Players will take on the role of a bus driver on the last bus, driving along an endless coastal highway in torrential rain.]

What players need to do is not to drive the car to the finish line, but to survive a complete journey.

Hao Ren's fingers flew across the air, writing rules into the design document.

[Driver's Code of Conduct 1.0 (Initial Version)]:

1. You drive the last bus of route 444, which departs at midnight, rain or shine.

2. Not everyone who gets on the bus is a person. But anyone who pays a coin is a passenger, so please treat them with courtesy.

3. If a passenger throws in ghost money, don't make a fuss, just drive normally. But remember their face.

4. Talking, eating, and drinking are prohibited inside the carriage. If you hear someone calling your name from behind, do not turn around.

5. What you see in your rearview mirror may not be the truth. If the number of passengers in your rearview mirror does not match the actual number, please pretend you didn't see it.

6. The vehicle will pass through seven stations. Some stations have people waiting for the bus, while others do not. Please strictly follow the station sign instructions when stopping. If the station sign is blank or says "Do not stop," please drive directly to the next station.

7. If someone stops the train outside the platform area, ignore them.

8. Most importantly: No matter what happens, your hands must never leave the steering wheel.

Hao Ren looked at the list of rules with satisfaction.

He cleverly incorporated the materials he had previously accumulated into it.

The "ghost wall" technique is used to generate an infinite loop, a road that never ends.

The "Paper Doll" model is used to generate "passengers" in various shapes and sizes.

The "Yinxi" sound effect pack can be used as a car radio to softly play "Zhuangyuan Mei" in the quiet car.

Finally, Hao Ren typed the last line at the end of the design document.

Indeed, it was the most vicious stroke.

[Final stop: West entrance of the Village of the Unjustly Dead.]