Last time during the simulation, Adam Carter didn’t find any trace of the Gang Hole in the room. To be safe, this time he also chose to bring this magical artifact, as well as the ‘Emperor Bell’ which shares the same properties.

“Selection successful.”

Two screens appeared before Adam Carter’s eyes.

On the first screen, he sat at his desk, frowning as he stared at his empty palm—this was the future he had simulated several times before.

The second screen was completely pitch-black, representing the past of the Gang Hole’s original owner, which required 500 yuan-jade to unlock.

Adam Carter focused his gaze on the first screen.

In a moment of dizziness, his consciousness was sucked into the screen.

Chapter 8: Lantern

This was Adam Carter’s fourth time entering the game.

When he heard the electronic voice prompt that the game had loaded successfully, he immediately stood up.

The ‘Dark Walker (Green)’ talent automatically activated, allowing him to see a black-and-white scene identical to what an infrared night vision device would show.

He quickly picked up the notebook on the desk, his powered-off phone, as well as the remote control and the main circuit breaker key beside them.

After the last simulation ended, Adam Carter began training himself to develop the habit of placing important items in fixed locations for easy retrieval.

This habit was reflected in the future simulation.

He put away the items, looked around, but still didn’t see any sign of the Gang Hole or the Emperor Bell.

He pushed open the door and walked into the living room, but still didn’t see those two items.

Adam Carter made a mental note: “It seems that mysterious items like the Gang Hole and the Emperor Bell won’t be ‘duplicated’ in the future simulation.”

Since the Emperor Bell wasn’t duplicated either, it meant the Emperor Bell was also a magical artifact with mysterious powers.

His judgment and luck were both pretty good.

Thinking this, the electronic voice faintly echoed in his mind: “You have comprehended a temporary talent: Koi Possession (White).”

“Koi Possession (White): Among ordinary people, you are the type who is more likely to obtain mysterious items.”

Did he gain this talent because he obtained two mysterious items in a row?

Adam Carter nodded to himself, stood at the living room door, and looked through the peephole at the hallway outside—in the black-and-white view, no lights were on in the hallway.

He then twisted the doorknob, turned off the voice-activated light, and carefully made his way downstairs.

With the experience from the first time, he made it to the first floor smoothly this time.

Nothing unexpected happened along the way.

Although each time you escape from the Shadow Wraith, you get an extra reward of 3 yuan-jade, this kind of thing ultimately depends on luck.

If you’re lucky and the Shadow Wraith doesn’t instantly appear and kill you, you get the reward.

If you’re unlucky and the Shadow Wraith appears instantly, you’re definitely dead, and you waste a simulation opportunity.

Adam Carter deliberately waited for a while at the stairwell landing.

Only after hearing no movement from the first-floor residents did he go down, pull the main switch, and then push open the building’s main door, dashing out at full speed!

Thud, thud, thud!

Short and intense footsteps echoed through the alley.

Daylight spilled into the passageway between the two apartment buildings, intertwining with the streetlights at the corner to cast a mass of overlapping, fragmented shadows.

Adam Carter’s shadow was stretched extremely long under the light.

It bounced with his sprinting.

A whiff of corpse stench lingered in Adam Carter’s nose, and in just a single breath, the smell became extremely strong, as if a rotting corpse was right beside him!

At the corner ahead, the streetlight emitted an orange glow.

Behind him, from his own shadow and the shadows of various objects around him, viscous black liquid surged out, instantly enveloping Adam Carter from all directions!

The very instant the corpse stench appeared, Adam Carter had already pressed the Gang Hole to his lips and immediately blew into it!

“Wuaaaah—”

A wailing, ghostly sound came from the Gang Hole, and a chilling wind swept across Adam Carter’s skin.

The wind was instantly dyed crimson, swirling around Adam Carter. Just as the Shadow Wraith was about to engulf him, a hand bone entwined with silvery tendons burst forth from the wind and lunged forward!

Rip!

The Shadow Wraith was torn open by the hand bone, leaving a huge gash!

Adam Carter charged out with his head down!

Unlike last time, this time the hand bone summoned by the Gang Hole followed Adam Carter for two steps before being engulfed by the viscous black liquid behind!

Under the light, the hand bone, now coated in a layer of black film, suddenly swelled into a ten-fingered black hand dozens of meters long, filling the entire alley.

The ten fingers clenched fiercely toward Adam Carter, who was just a step away!

“Come on!”

Adam Carter spat out a word.

His forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, but there was a strange madness in his eyes.

In his right hand, he gripped the rust-covered Emperor Bell tightly, his wrist shaking violently!

“Ding dang dang dang dang!”

A heavy yet clear bell sound rang through the alley. Invisible sound waves radiated from Adam Carter as the center, spreading in all directions!

The ten pitch-black fingers reaching for Adam Carter suddenly froze in midair!

They were immobilized!

The Emperor Bell was very effective!

Adam Carter didn’t dare hesitate. Clutching the Emperor Bell, he turned and ran toward the corner!

Last time he escaped along this route, the simulator’s comment was ‘the way out is already in sight’, which meant taking this path could lead to safety!

However, he had barely taken a few steps when he suddenly felt a chill closing in from behind—

“Ding dang dang dang dang!”