It's time to become an evil god.

Whether it was intentional retro aging or the hotel hadn't been renovated in a long time, the entire hotel exuded a Showa-era feel. The corridors were lined with all sorts of old posters, and the overhead lighting had a dim, yellowish hue, making it seem particularly eerie.

After everyone entered the elevator, the doors slowly closed. The elevator lobby was covered with all sorts of gruesome bloody handprints, as if a brutal massacre had once taken place. Deep down, everyone shared a tacit understanding.

Could this be part of the hotel's decor?

The witch couldn't help but complain, "I thought we were separated from this country by the sea, but I never imagined we were separated by life and death."

"To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if I opened the hotel room door and found a corpse soaking in the bathtub."

Bai Ge stroked the bloody handprint on it and said with deep emotion, "I never expected that coming to this country would feel so familiar, like coming home."

???

Everyone was looking at Bai Ge with an expression that said, "Something seems off about you."

Even Wuxian's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but recall the gossip news report from a few days ago that claimed that the player Bai Ze was very likely from the underworld, because he didn't do any of the things that humans did.

Wuxian initially found the post absurd and laughable, but now, looking at Bai Ge, all that came to mind were the words "Temptation of the Underworld".

Ding dong.

The elevator stopped on the eighth floor. Bai Ge and Xi Zeliang stepped out first, reminding everyone to stay in touch before heading towards their respective room doors. Before unlocking, he specifically warned, "Be careful. I have a feeling this hotel isn't as simple as it seems. I sensed death in the corridor just now; I wonder if something is watching us. And this is our first mission after leaving the starting village, so it might be even more difficult than the high-difficulty missions we've encountered before."

Bai Ge waved the emergency call device in his hand and said, "It's okay. Anyway, if anything strange happens, I'll definitely run faster than anyone else. Don't worry."

After saying that, Bai Ge swiped the room card to open the door and went inside without saying another word.

Having said everything that needed to be said, Nishizawa Ryo had nothing more to add and entered the room as well.

There was nothing unusual inside, except that the furnishings looked a bit strange. There were many yellowish-brown talismans pasted on the walls, like some kind of talisman for dealing with paranormal events. Upon closer inspection, you would notice that the talismans were placed in areas that were a different color from the surrounding area, as if the room had just been renovated. In addition, there was a faint, almost imperceptible, foul odor floating in the room.

Xi Zeliang opened the refrigerator, which contained some fruit prepared by the hotel for its guests. He took out the Geiger counter he had brought with him from his backpack. Although he didn't know why a university professor would carry such a thing in his backpack, he still tentatively tested the fruit in the refrigerator. After confirming that it did not contain any radiation, he took out a banana, brought it to his nose and sniffed it, and said, "The fruit here looks quite fresh."

Unexpectedly, the banana that was being held in my hand suddenly started talking.

"Nonsense, I just ripened yesterday and shipped it here from Fukushima. If you want to eat it, just say so. Why make up so many excuses? Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing? What's the meaning of bringing me to the toilet? I'm warning you, don't mess around! Holy crap, glug glug glug..."

"..."

Watching the banana disappear with the water, Nishizawa Ryo silently closed the toilet lid and gently exhaled.

From now until the end of the mission, try not to touch anything in the hotel.

……

Perhaps because she had seen the tuna in the cafeteria suddenly start talking, Bai Ge wasn't surprised at all when she saw an orange cat curled up on the bed, its belly exposed and meowing. Instead, she excitedly pulled a photo out of her backpack and ran up to the cat, asking if it was possible to become a white-haired catgirl like that.

The orange cat pressed its pink paws against the photo, slowly pushed it away from its face, and said in an unhappy tone, "You've turned me, a 20-plus-pound orange cat, into a little girl weighing less than 80 pounds. I think you're making things difficult for me, Fat Tiger!"

"You really can speak human language."

Bai Ge grabbed the orange cat and said, "Tell me what's so strange about this hotel?"

The orange cat rolled its eyes at him, slowly licking its paws as it said, "Are talking cats common in your life? I'm just here to make a deal with you."

"trade?"

Bai Ge has seen plenty of people make deals with the devil, but this is the first time he's seen someone make a deal with a cat.

The orange cat warned him sternly, "Once you leave this room, whatever you do, don't go into the bathroom. Over the past ten years, many guests have mysteriously disappeared or committed suicide in this hotel. In the middle of the night, a guest in your room heard a child sobbing under the bed. He initially thought someone was playing a prank, but when he looked in with his phone's flashlight, he saw a still-intact corpse lying on the floor under the bed, staring straight at him. In short, this hotel is extremely dangerous."

"You don't just want to tell me these things, do you?"

Bai Ge asked, "You definitely need me to provide or do something for you?"

"I just enjoy chatting with smart people."

The orange cat nodded in satisfaction and said, "I left a ruby ​​in the hotel, and I hope you can help me find it. In return, you can tell me the secrets about the hotel."

Bai Ge narrowed his eyes, sizing the other person up and down, and said slowly, "Have you ever heard of Crispy Cat and Dragon Tiger Fight?"

"No."

The orange cat became alert and asked, "What?"

Bai Ge deliberately licked his lips and said, "It's nothing, both dishes are made with cat meat."

The moment the words left his mouth, the orange cat opposite him bristled with fear, adopting a wary stance. "Are you going to eat me?"

"No, why should I believe a cat of unknown origin that can speak human language?"

Although he couldn't use any items or skills at this moment, Bai Ge was still confident that he could catch the 20-pound orange cat. "If you don't tell the truth, I'll tie you up, shave all your fur off, and drip insecticide on you!"

The orange cat fell silent, then sighed softly and said, "What kind of bad intentions could a cat possibly have?"

After hesitating for a moment, the orange cat finally told the whole story.

"Actually, I was commissioned by someone. The other party was a player like you. He encountered an accident while performing a solo mission. In the meantime, he separated a part of his soul and merged it with mine. I am me, and I am also an inseparable part of him. This includes inheriting some of his memories and obsessions."

"So you don't know why we're looking for that ruby ​​either?"

Bai Ge pondered for a moment, realizing that the current situation was beyond his expectations. He never imagined that there would be players who had previously completed solo scenario missions in this instance world.

"Yes, but I know how to find the ruby, if finding the ruby ​​can help you unravel the mystery of the quest's world."

The orange cat raised its paw and pointed to the bathroom. "I suggest you start with the bathroom."

Bai Ge was taken aback. "Didn't you say never to go into the bathroom?"

"Now we need to."

Just as he finished speaking, the bathroom door suddenly opened a crack, and the sound of running water came from the dark bathroom, as if someone inside was turning on the faucet and shower, making some strange noises.

Next, a strange sound came from the crack in the door: fingernails scratching on the tiles. Five pale fingers peeked out from the narrow crack.

"Watch out, the little girl who drowned in the water tank is about to come out."

Sure enough, a scarlet eye appeared behind the finger, staring intently at Bai Ge. It even beckoned with its index finger in a seductive gesture, slowly saying, "Onii-san, I..."

"Bagaya Road."

Bai Ge, with a stern face, interrupted the other person and sternly reprimanded, "Shut up! Is that how you talk to the Japanese officer?"

Chapter 187 I'm a Stand User!

The little girl in the bathroom seemed not to understand him, waving her tiny hand at Bai Ge, gesturing for him to enter. The orange cat, however, bristled as if facing a formidable enemy, staring intently at the dead man's pale hand, baring its teeth.

"Onii-san, come here quickly."

The little girl repeated herself over and over, trying to lure Bai Ge into the bathroom. Her tone became increasingly urgent, while she tried her best to maintain a calm demeanor.

After pondering for a moment, Bai Ge turned to the orange cat behind him and asked, "I have a bold idea. In Japan, is it criminally punishable to lay a hand on a child under the age of fourteen?"

The orange cat paused for a moment, wondering why the other would ask such a question. After thinking carefully, it nodded and gave an answer, "Definitely."

Bai Ge rolled up his sleeves and continued, "What if the police don't catch them?"

"...That's another story."

"In that case, I won't stand on ceremony."

After saying that, Bai Ge took out a grenade from his bag. Although he didn't know why a professor would carry a grenade with him, he guessed that this was the professional quality of a professor majoring in funeral culture.

Bai Ge pulled the pin on the grenade and placed it in the little girl's hand. The little girl at the door blinked, looking at Bai Ge with a puzzled expression, and asked, "Onii-san, what's this?"

"Toys for Showa-era children."

After saying that, Bai Ge closed the bathroom door.

A few seconds later, a loud crash came from inside, and the entire door was blown off. Dust and thick smoke billowed out of the bathroom, choking the person and the cat so much that they couldn't open their eyes.

"Is this okay?"

Just then, the phone on the bedside table rang. It was the front desk staff, their voice stiff and indifferent as they called. "Mr. Bai, I'm sorry to call you at this hour, but we've received many noise complaints from your downstairs neighbors. Similar incidents have happened before, and the next day, either the guests mysteriously died in bed or mysteriously disappeared. So, I was wondering if you would like the hotel to book a cremation package for you tomorrow?"

"..."

Bai Ge glanced at the mangled remains of the body, shattered and sticky to the ceiling, in the bathroom, and asked, "Are the mortuary staff here good at jigsaw puzzles? If so, could you prepare an encoffining package for me tomorrow?"

Bai Ge stepped into the bathroom, where the bathtub was almost overflowing with blood. Some black strands of a woman's hair floated on top, like a large clump of black seaweed floating on the bloodstains, giving it an indescribable eeriness.

The little orange cat sat by the door, raised its paw and licked it, refusing to step inside no matter what.

Bai Ge frowned, pointed to the large vat of bloody water, and said, "You're not trying to tell me that what you want is in this fish tank, are you?"

The little orange cat nodded.

"Then why don't you come in and get it yourself?"

"Because there's a ghost in the bathtub."

The orange cat said seriously, "A couple once checked into this hotel, and a fire broke out on this floor. The man abandoned his girlfriend in the bathroom and escaped alone. Before leaving, he tricked the girl into thinking he would go out and find the firefighters for help. The girl was burned alive in the bathroom and became a ghost that haunts the bathroom, searching for her boyfriend every night."

"……Ugh."

Bai Ge sighed silently, turned and walked out of the bathroom. He rummaged through the wristbands, duct tape and boning knife in his bag and found a bottle of paraquat. Without saying a word, he poured it all into the bloody bathtub, saying as he poured, "I admit I was gambling, but today, paraquat or the vengeful ghost, one of them has to go."

Just as half of the pesticide bottle was being poured in, a pair of pale arms suddenly emerged from the bathtub, abruptly grabbing Bai Ge's throat. With a thud, the pesticide bottle fell to the ground. A terrifying face covered in burn scars slowly emerged from the blood, black hair clinging to its surface, making it appear both eerie and horrifying. Its venomous eyes were fixed intently on Bai Ge.

"Why did you only come back to save me now? I've been waiting for you for so long."

"My face is burned, it hurts so much, Acheng, you will definitely marry me, darling, you will definitely marry me, right?"

Bai Ge's face turned blue from being pinched. She turned her head with difficulty, waving her arms as if trying to find the big orange cat behind her for help. Unexpectedly, the big orange cat leaped up and landed steadily on her shoulder. It rubbed its head against Bai Ge's cheek, meowed lazily, and slowly said, "Actually, your boyfriend just praised me as cute and said you look like a haggard old woman."

"..."

"Oh dear, it's just a kitten. What bad intentions could a kitten possibly have?"

The female ghost seemed to have gone mad, almost snapping Bai Ge's neck. Her gloomy and terrifying voice echoed in his ears, filled with resentment and becoming increasingly out of control and hysterical.

"No, I don't believe it! Cheng, you'll marry me, right? No matter what I do, you'll still marry me, right? Say it, say you love me!"

The agonizing feeling of suffocation left Bai Ge's mind blank, his face turning increasingly purplish-blue. He struggled desperately but could not escape the pair of terrifying, iron-like hands, and he began to feel his consciousness fading.

Bai Ge managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth, "You...love me."

As a result, the other party used so much force that they almost sent him to the second dimension on the spot.

At the most crucial moment, the orange cat on the shoulder leaped up and affixed a sealing talisman to the forehead of the earthbound spirit. The female ghost in the bathtub let out a shrill scream and vanished without a trace in a wisp of green smoke.

"Cough cough."

Bai Ge touched his throat with lingering fear, looked up at the orange cat, and said, "Why didn't you use this thing sooner?"

"This is a sealing talisman that I secretly tore off from my room on the thirteenth floor."