Chapter 20

Despite ten days having passed, the live video of "Ghost Bride" still holds the top spot on the virtual world's rankings, with new viewers flocking to the live stream daily.

After signing the cooperation agreement with Blue Ocean Group, Tong Yu immediately announced the news in the live stream and reopened the reservation system. In ten days, the number of reservations skyrocketed from one hundred thousand to over seven hundred thousand.

So when Blue Ocean Group announced that the game point construction was complete and players could enter to experience it, the "Ghost Bride" trending topic instantly exploded across the virtual world.

Zhang Xin seized the opportunity and released the Hannibal selection plan:

【The new script for Escape Room, "Hannibal's Dinner," has been completed, with a horror level of SS. We are now recruiting the first batch of players to experience it, with a recruitment number of 8. Due to the high horror level, participating players must have a reserve of two hundred thousand B Energy Value, be physically and mentally healthy, and have great courage to ensure no psychological shadow is left. If one is left, our company is not responsible. Those who meet the above conditions and have the lowest energy consumption after clearing the Ghost Bride instance will be given priority. The recruitment results will be announced in 48 hours.】

A video followed, showing some scenes from the Hannibal instance.

「Wow, the second instance is out before I've even played the first one. Blue Ocean Group, as expected from a big company, is amazing.」

「Am I the only one worried about the quality of the instance? Although I haven't played Escape Room, I've watched the live stream three times. The game's plot is very important. Can something made so hastily be any good?」

「I agree with the above. Boss Tong is probably being pushed by capital.」

「Exactly, while money is important, quality is more so. It's hard to come across such an innovative game; it shouldn't just be a flash in the pan.」

「Did anyone notice the new instance's horror level? SS. I remember Ghost Bride's horror level was only Grade A.」

「Jumping two levels in horror right off the bat, I'm skeptical.」

「I watched the video, and I must say, Boss Tong's scene construction is exquisite. Even if I don't know about the plot, the game scene alone is worth playing.」

「I noticed that too, and the architectural style is completely different from Ghost Bride. This time the NPCs are European with blond hair and blue eyes. It's said that during Ancient Earth, it took several months to travel from China to Europe due to underdeveloped transportation, so the cultural differences were significant. I guess this time's architecture is from Ancient Earth's European buildings.」

「What's the use of just having a beautiful scene? The game's selling point is the horror level, the consumption of mental energy, not archaeology.」

「The name doesn't sound scary at all, 'Hannibal's Dinner.' Is it going to be a table full of unappetizing food?」

This idea from a netizen is not unfounded, as in the interstellar era, food that is unappetizing enough can consume mental power, like Zhang Huai's stinky tofu.

「But the game's requirements are so strict, there must be something to it.」

「It's just hype, who knows what it's really like inside.」

「If you're doubtful, don't apply. I'll test the waters for you.」

「The one above, I can hear your calculations from this side of the planet.」

「You all argue, but you still need the qualifications to go.」 This comment was followed by a screenshot showing twenty thousand B Energy Value.

Only those with more than twenty thousand B Energy Value could apply.

This is mockery!!!

Who gets mocked without retaliating? The mocked netizens suddenly began uploading their own energy value screenshots. Usually, people hope this value is as low as possible because the lower the energy value, the more stable the mental power. But at this moment, netizens with energy values below twenty thousand couldn't even upload!

In an instant, many mentally stable Awakened were inexplicably disliked by their Contractors: "Can't you use your brain a little more often? Your chaos index doesn't even reach twenty thousand!"

This competitive nature!!

While silently sipping his milk tea, Tong Yu let out a sage-like sigh.

Zhang Xin, sitting across from him, also holding a cup, monitored the backend data while sipping: "As of now, we have received 29,876 applications."

Tong Yu was surprised: "The first game hasn't even ended yet, and only eight thousand players have entered in total."

The Ghost Bride instance takes at least three hours to play through, and it's been less than two hours so far.

Zhang Xin: "You don't have to play to apply. The number of reservations for Ghost Bride has already exceeded eight hundred thousand. These applicants are just those whose energy values meet the requirements, and it's just the beginning. More people will apply later."

So many people have energy values over twenty thousand B?!

Tong Yu thought of Shang Letian, whose Mental Sea stored only a little over twenty thousand mental energy, and he was already suffering. He thought this was a special case, but now it seemed to be the norm.

Tong Yu couldn't help but ask: "Are these people enduring mental torment every day?"

Zhang Xin was momentarily taken aback, clearly not expecting the sudden topic shift, but he answered: "It varies from person to person. If a Contractor's Mental Sea is vast enough, twenty thousand B isn't much. But if the Mental Sea is too small, even ten thousand B can be unbearable. You must have just formed a Mental Contract recently."

Tong Yu nodded, regretting the question as it revealed his ignorance of common knowledge.

Fortunately, Zhang Xin didn't suspect anything and even began to explain: "The content in the Contractor's manual, you clearly haven't read it carefully. After becoming a Contractor, the Mental Sea expands with mental stimulation. Normally, after forming a contract for a year, the Mental Sea can accommodate ten thousand B of energy. After five years, it can reach 20-25 thousand B, and beyond that, it's up to luck. If you can't naturally awaken, thirty thousand is the limit. By the way, what was your initial capacity? It must be high."

Not to mention, just constructing these two game scenes must consume a lot of energy, so Zhang Xin assumed Tong Yu's capacity must be high.

Tong Yu had no idea what his capacity was. He had formed the contract with Sheng Jing in a muddle, never having measured it, so he casually made up a number: "Not much, fifteen thousand B."

Choosing a middle value between ten thousand and twenty thousand seemed safe.

Zhang Xin was delighted: "You're amazing, having an initial capacity of fifteen thousand B."

Tong Yu trembled: "Is… is that a lot?"

Zhang Xin: "Of course, most people's initial capacity is only 6-8 thousand, and you've doubled that. You're incredible, Xiao Yu, I think you might naturally awaken."

Wow, the initial value is only 6-8 thousand, why didn't you say so earlier!

Tong Yu felt the topic was getting dangerous, so he quickly changed it: "How many people have reserved now?"

"Let me check." Zhang Xin, most concerned about the game, lowered his head to check the backend numbers.

Tong Yu quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

…

Two days passed quickly.

During these two days, the entire virtual world was abuzz with discussions about "Ghost Bride" and "Hannibal." Although everyone knew the content of the Ghost Bride instance, watching online and experiencing it firsthand were two completely different experiences. So the decline in popularity Zhang Xin worried about never happened. Instead, due to excellent player feedback, the popularity climbed another notch.

Some players even planned to play three or four times to complete all the levels set by Tong Yu. Others wanted to play with friends and planned to return when reservations were no longer needed.

As the popularity of "Ghost Bride" soared, players' anticipation for "Hannibal" also grew.

Finally, it was time to announce the live experience list.

Zhang Xin wasted no time, having the staff upload the list of eight names, divided into three categories: name, energy consumption in the Ghost Bride instance, and capacity.

1. Xia Zheng -12657B 280,000B.

2. Derek -23567B 250,000B.

3. Liu Mingjie -39876B 240,000B.

…

8. Elena -55996B 220,000B.

As soon as the list was announced, the netizens exploded.

「Xia Zheng, is it the Xia Zheng I know? The famous actor who starred in 'Return to Earth'?」

「Energy consumption of 12657B, storage of 280,000B, that's almost 300,000B in total. Is the big shot about to awaken?」

「Wow, none of the people on this list have a capacity below 270,000B.」

All Contractors know that under normal circumstances, without a second awakening, a capacity of 250,000 is already the limit. Those who can exceed 250,000 have a chance to awaken, and once they break through 300,000, it means successful awakening. All eight people on this list exceed 250,000, meaning each of them has the potential for natural awakening. Especially Xia Zheng, ranked first, who is almost at 300,000B.

"Is this actor arranged by you?" Tong Yu asked Zhang Xin.

"How could it be?" Zhang Xin's face turned grim, "The list is selected by the virtual world's intelligent AI, and no one can fake it. Besides, even if I were to choose, I wouldn't pick him."

Tong Yu was puzzled: "He's an actor, with such high visibility, what's wrong with free publicity?"

"He's famous for acting in horror movies. If I were to find someone for publicity, I'd definitely choose someone with a smaller courage to get the effect." Zhang Xin said.

"That's true. Throughout the game, he only consumed a little over ten thousand energy value, and he's even half of the second place. He's definitely a tank king."

"The most important thing is that this actor has a sharp tongue. If he feels the game doesn't meet his expectations after playing, he might criticize us. His die-hard fans are terrifyingly aggressive." Zhang Xin was worried, "No way, I need to contact the PR department."

Tong Yu didn't care about the operations and continued to watch the drama unfold.

「The second place, Derek, is a well-known game streamer with over twenty million fans. There's no game he promotes that doesn't become popular.」

「Is twenty million impressive? Our actor has a hundred million fans.」

「Die-hard fans shouldn't be on the game forum, go back to the entertainment section.」

「Wow, Xia Zheng's die-hard fans have appeared, poor Boss Tong, he's going to get criticized.」

Tong Yu was speechless, what does this have to do with him?

As soon as Xia Zheng's die-hard fans joined the fray, the two sides started bickering. Tong Yu watched for a while, and seeing no one discussing the game, he decisively logged out. Three hours after the list was announced, the experience began. This meant the eight on the list had to arrive at Tong Yu's store on time three hours later, or they would be considered to have forfeited.

Tong Yu took a break to eat, calculated the time, and arrived at the store ten minutes early. By then, there were already seven people in the store, with Zhang Xin and his colleagues entertaining them. When he logged in, all eyes turned to him.

"Let me introduce everyone, this is the game's creator, Mr. Tong Yu." Zhang Xin introduced Tong Yu to the group.

"Mr. Tong is so young." A handsome blond-haired, blue-eyed man extended his hand to Tong Yu, "Hello, I'm Derek."

Tong Yu responded, "I know you, you're a very skilled game streamer."

Tong Yu greeted everyone one by one and realized that everyone except the first-ranked Xia Zheng seemed to be present.

"Where's Xia Zheng?" Tong Yu quietly asked Zhang Xin.

"His assistant said he's filming an ad, hopefully, he won't make it." Zhang Xin whispered in Tong Yu's ear.

Unfortunately, his wish didn't come true. Xia Zheng made it just two minutes before the game started.

In the previous second, Zhang Xin was hoping Xia Zheng wouldn't come, but he quickly changed his expression and warmly shook hands: "Xia Zheng, it's an honor to have you interested in our little game."

Xia Zheng glanced at the time and curtly said, "Let's start the game, I have other things to do later."

Zhang Xin, having received a cold shoulder, couldn't continue the small talk and quickly stepped aside.

Tong Yu then stepped forward, leading everyone to the entrance of the Secret Room: "Welcome to Hannibal's Castle. Mr. Hannibal invites you to dinner and hopes you have a beautiful evening."

With that, Tong Yu opened the entrance to the Secret Room.

Xia Zheng, whether in a hurry or eager, was the first to enter, followed by the others.

As they stepped into the Secret Room, the Star Network live broadcast began simultaneously. Originally, this live broadcast was only on the game channel, but because Xia Zheng was one of the participants, many entertainment channels also spontaneously rebroadcast it.

「It's starting, my idol is indeed there.」

「Ahhh, my idol is even more handsome!」

「This is a game broadcast, can the die-hard fans please be quiet?」

「Wow, the scene here is so beautiful, paired with Xia Zheng, it's a visual feast.」

The game enthusiasts couldn't win or out-argue, so they stopped commenting and switched to the game forum for discussion.

「The scene is so beautiful, completely different from Ghost Bride. Can it be scary?」

「Someone's coming out of the castle, it looks like the butler.」

"Honored guests, welcome to Hannibal's Castle. I am the castle's butler, Duncan." A gentleman in his fifties, with a refined appearance, bowed to the group. His words were sincere, his tone gentle, and his demeanor elegant, making him instantly likable.

This kind of etiquette is almost unseen on Water Blue Star nowadays, leaving the group momentarily stunned, unsure of how to respond.

Finally, Xia Zheng was the first to recover, mimicking the butler's tone to introduce himself: "I am Xia Zheng, thank you for your host's invitation."

Derek and the others followed suit with their introductions.

「Ahhh, as expected of my idol, that moment was absolutely perfect.」

「Perfect? He's not even as refined as that AI butler.」 The game enthusiasts, unable to contain their frustration, criticized the die-hard fans in the comments. If I can't comment freely, I won't let you enjoy your idol in peace.

After venting, the game enthusiasts, knowing they couldn't win, turned off the comments and switched to the game forum.

「This butler is different too. In Ghost Bride, the butler came out holding a lantern, hunched over, with a face full of wrinkles, looking eerie and scary. How come this butler looks so… refined?」

「So far, it's not scary at all.」

「Yeah.」

「It's just the beginning, let's see what happens next.」

In the Secret Room, the butler led the guests into the living room. As the magnificent hall appeared, the comments were filled with exclamations. The camera shifted, and the castle's owner, Hannibal, finally appeared in everyone's view.

Hannibal's appearance had briefly appeared in the promotional video, but there was no dialogue or significant movement. Now, in the live broadcast, Hannibal was dressed in a tailored tailcoat, with a perfectly charming smile on his handsome face, walking gracefully. His emerald eyes seemed like the purest gems in the world. He bypassed the group and approached the only lady among the eight, taking her hand and placing a kiss: "Honored lady, your beauty is captivating. Knowing your name would be the honor of my life."

Elena blushed, her voice coquettish: "Elena."

In an instant, all eyes in and out of the game were on Elena, for no other reason than this Elena was a genuine tomboy, best known for her prowess in fighting games, ranking in the top ten of virtual world fighting games. The men she's beaten up number in the thousands, if not tens of thousands, and her voice when cursing is rougher than many men's.

But what did she just do? She actually acted coquettish?

「Whoa! Elena blushed?」

「Elena, where's your bold and hearty voice, why are you acting coy!!」

「Elena, what's wrong with you, are you possessed?」

「Could this be the horror of the game? It can change a person's personality?」

「The more you think about it, the scarier it gets!」

While everyone was making jokes, Hannibal had already greeted the others. During this time, Hannibal's elegant and noble demeanor even overshadowed Xia Zheng, capturing a wave of admiration from the ladies.

「Blue Ocean Group, does Hannibal's program sell? I want to order a custom Hannibal for myself.」

「Same here!」

Zhang Xin looked at these comments and snorted coldly: "In five minutes, you won't want it anymore."

In the Secret Room, Hannibal had already separated from the guests to handle matters in the kitchen.

Xia Zheng and the others wandered the castle, discussing as they went.

"What do we do next? Has the plot started?"

"Yeah, so far nothing seems to have happened. Are we really just here for dinner?"

"Maybe the scary part starts after dinner?"

Just then, a sudden commotion of footsteps came from ahead: "Help, help!"

The voice was shrill, just ahead.

It's starting!!

The group became excited and rushed forward, just in time to see a figure being dragged around the corner of the hallway, leaving a pool of bright red blood on the floor.

"The plot's triggered, there might be clues." Derek was the first to say.

"Let's follow and see." Xia Zheng was the first to follow.

The eight of them dashed through the complex corridors, following the blood trail to a room. The door was ajar, and inside were various kitchen utensils, with a somewhat familiar figure standing with their back to them.

"It's Hannibal." Hannibal's distinctive appearance made him instantly recognizable to everyone.

"This seems like a kitchen? The game's theme is 'Hannibal's Dinner,' could the focus be in the kitchen?"

The group began analyzing.

At this moment, Hannibal, who had been facing away, suddenly stepped aside, revealing what he had been blocking. It was a cross, with a man half-kneeling and fixed to the wooden frame. His eyes were filled with terror, his limbs limp and powerless, his mouth opening and closing, trying to make a sound but unable to, with tears silently falling.

The man's eyes were so despairing that just one look sent chills down one's spine.

「What is this? Kidnapping? Murder? Is Hannibal a murderer?」

「So this time's theme is a battle royale, Hannibal will kill the guests who come to the castle?」

The netizens began speculating about the plot.

At this moment, Hannibal brought over a tray filled with various seasonings. He crouched down, gently addressing the man tied to the cross: "Don't be afraid, my child, it will affect the taste of the brain."

Upon hearing this, the players' pupils shrank.

「What did he just say? Did he mention the brain?」

「I... I thought I heard wrong!」

「No... it can't be.」

"Zzzzz!!"

In the live broadcast, Hannibal, having found a drill from somewhere, began drilling into the man's head, the sound of drilling mixed with the splattering of bone fragments. When the drill finally left the man's head, there was still bright red blood clinging to it.

At this moment, the live broadcast's comments were uniformly filled with "Whoa!"

The eight players in the game experienced their energy values dropping significantly for the first time.

Hannibal discarded the drill, picked up a knife and fork, and moved behind the man. By now, the man was still alive, but his eyes no longer shed tears, only a dead, hopeless gaze, a despair that seemed to penetrate the screen and into every viewer's heart.

Hannibal removed his blood-stained gloves, his long, elegant fingers holding the knife and fork, deftly lifting the man's skull.

"High-quality ingredients often require the simplest cooking methods." Hannibal used the knife and fork to scoop out half a brain, carefully placing it on a prepared plate. As it was placed on the plate, the fresh red brain still twitched slightly, "My esteemed guests will surely be satisfied with this dish."

"Ugh!" Someone couldn't hold back and vomited.

Hannibal, preparing the high-end ingredients, suddenly looked up, his gaze meeting the eight people's!

"Run!" Xia Zheng reacted the fastest, turning to flee!

This shout not only awakened the other seven players but also all the viewers outside the video!

From the moment Hannibal began "preparing the ingredients," the entire live broadcast was in a dead silence. For a full nine minutes and eighteen seconds, not a single comment was posted, as if everyone was bound by fear, unable to move.

「Run, ahhhhh!」

「Ugh! I can't take it, I vomited up yesterday's nutrient solution.」

「The one in front, I vomited up last week's.」

「Demon, this is definitely a demon!」

「I was seeing through Xia Zheng's perspective, and when I met Hannibal's gaze, I felt like I was already dead!」

「Wow, just that moment, my energy value dropped by over ten thousand. Damn, that was terrifying.」

「I lost over twenty thousand.」

「At this rate, will I disconnect just from watching a live stream?」

Tong Yu glanced at the energy values of the eight players in the game. The one with the fastest drop was Elena, losing fifteen thousand. The least was Xia Zheng and Derek, both losing only around eight thousand.

"How did Xia Zheng only lose eight thousand B?" Zhang Xin was clearly also monitoring the players' energy consumption.

"What more do you want? He only lost a little over ten thousand throughout the entire Ghost Bride instance, and here he lost eight thousand right at the start. We've already succeeded." Tong Yu said.

"True." Zhang Xin didn't dwell on it, continuing to watch the live broadcast, as he didn't know the subsequent plot either.

The eight were frantically fleeing through the castle, finally reaching the first checkpoint.

"What is this? There's even a countdown?"

"There's an explanation here." Liu Mingjie found the instructions on the wall and quickly read, "Restore the Rubik's Cube within thirty seconds, ensuring all the same colors are on one side. If you can't restore it in thirty seconds, one teammate will become Hannibal's high-end ingredient. From now, you have three minutes to prepare."

Become Hannibal's high-end ingredient?! Everyone simultaneously envisioned the white plate with the twitching brain.

"Who can solve this Rubik's Cube!" Xia Zheng asked.

Derek shook his head: "I've never played with this thing?"

The others also shook their heads.

Meanwhile, the live broadcast comments were also discussing the Rubik's Cube.

「What's this Rubik's Cube, does anyone know?」

「I've never seen it, but it says on there, just put the same colors together, it should be a puzzle game.」

Tong Yu curiously asked Zhang Xin: "Haven't you played with a Rubik's Cube?"

Zhang Xin shook his head: "No, isn't this a toy you designed?"

"…" Tong Yu was speechless. These people haven't even seen a Rubik's Cube, how can they solve it in thirty seconds?

Will they all fail at this checkpoint?

"Let me try." A middle-aged man with glasses among the eight spoke up.

"You can do it?" Xia Zheng asked him.

"I can try calculating it, it seems like a math problem." The middle-aged man said.

"Then hurry up and calculate, there's two minutes and fifteen seconds left." Elena reminded.

Meanwhile, the comments were all urging.

「Quick, quick, does anyone understand this, is it a math problem, hurry up and calculate.」

「Let me build a model, I'll use the Light Brain to calculate.」

「Damn, where would Xia Zheng and the others get a Light Brain in the Secret Room!」

In the Secret Room, the middle-aged man was muttering to himself, occasionally gesturing with his hands, rapidly calculating. The other seven surrounded him, guarding against pursuers from behind.

The three minutes quickly passed.

"Please begin restoring the Rubik's Cube!" A mechanical female voice announced, and the thirty-second countdown began.

"It's started!" Derek shouted.

The middle-aged man gritted his teeth and began restoring the Rubik's Cube. He quickly turned the cube, but his calculations were clearly incomplete. He only managed to solve one side before the thirty seconds were up.

"Restoration failed!"

"Be on guard!" Xia Zheng warned everyone to be on alert, expecting someone from the castle to come and grab them. But they never expected the danger to be beneath them.

"Ah!"

With a scream, the middle-aged man with glasses suddenly fell through the floor. When the others turned to look, they only saw the floor restored.

Inside and outside the live broadcast, silence reigned once more, until finally, a comment drifted out.

「Are there any of the remaining seven who can solve it?」

While the psychological activities of the seven players in the game were unclear, the rapidly decreasing energy values were visible.

The scene shifted to Hannibal.

In the grand dining room, Hannibal gazed affectionately at the recently fallen middle-aged man with glasses: "I've heard that the brains of smart people have more texture."

With a swish, the energy value dropped by 50,000.