Chapter 24: I Am Liu Tong, the Newcomer

Looking at the knife in his hand, Bai Wan realized that the man lying dead on the floor had indeed been killed by him—a fact confirmed by the system information that appeared in his mind.

【Instance Game: The Letter
Briefing: A group of six robbers broke into Lin Yuan's house to steal money, but faced resistance and killed him to silence him.
Notes: 1. Survive in Mingkou Town for seven days.
2. Do not leave the house after 10:00 PM.
3. One person per room; otherwise, a corresponding amount of ghost coins will be deducted per hour.】

Bai Wan glanced at the information, then at the six people present. The instance was simple and straightforward. The six of them were clearly the robbers who had broken into the house, and the man on the floor was Lin Yuan.

Bai Wan scanned the group and felt a sense of surprise. There were three women and two men, and one of them was Su Yueling. He was stunned for a moment, followed by a surge of delight. Wasn't she his new friend? How did she end up in the same instance? Did she use some kind of item to join just to help him? What a kind soul.

Su Yueling also noticed Bai Wan, but both silently chose not to acknowledge each other. Having made it onto the bounty list, Bai Wan was in more danger than the others. Keeping a low profile was always for the best.

"Hello everyone, my name is Sun Qian. I run a company in real life and have completed three instances. This is my fourth. Let’s all give a brief introduction; it will be helpful for clearing the game," said a stout man with a gold chain hanging around his neck. He looked like an executive, accustomed to taking charge.

After Sun Qian finished, a tall woman standing nearby introduced herself: "I'm Xu Bing, a freelancer. I've completed two rounds." Xu Bing appeared cold and spoke very little.

Next to her were two players holding hands, clearly a couple. "Hello everyone, I'm Wang Jian, a food delivery rider. This is my second instance, and this is my girlfriend, Luo Ya," Wang Jian said with a smile.

"Do you need to introduce me? Hello everyone, I'm Luo Ya, a supermarket manager," she added with a pleasant smile. Wang Jian, seemingly afraid of upsetting his girlfriend, hurried over to apologize. "Yaya, I didn't mean anything by it, I just..."

"Fine, shut up," Luo Ya said, looking quite dismissive of her boyfriend.

Then, Su Yueling spoke up: "I'm Su Yueling. I'm a student in real life, and this is my third instance." She concealed her status as an official agent, as such a background offered few benefits and a heap of trouble in these instances.

Unlike the newcomer instance she had participated in with Liu Tong, none of the people in this room were novices. The Horror Game inherently brought despair; many people, upon gaining supernatural powers, lost control of themselves and committed various illegal acts, naturally leading to them being wanted by the authorities. If there were fugitives among the players, an official identity would be incredibly dangerous.

Su Yueling gave Bai Wan a look, warning him to be careful about protecting his identity. Being in the top 48 of the bounty list made him a prime target. She worried that this fool wouldn't know how to play the part, but shortly after, she realized her concerns were unnecessary.

Bai Wan’s expression shifted into one of confusion and utter despair. "Where... where is this? Why am I here? I remember studying in the library, and then... I looked at my phone, and there was a strange text message asking if I wanted to know the meaning of life, if I wanted to truly live? And I... I just..."

Su Yueling: "..."

Watching his masterful performance, she was left speechless. The three parts confusion, two parts panic, and four parts helplessness in his eyes were enough to fool anyone. If she hadn't known this guy was the "Family" member—the monstrously talented newcomer topping the bounty list—she would have truly believed he was a novice.

The others were stunned by Bai Wan's reaction. Sun Qian asked in surprise, "Little brother, this isn't your first time in an instance, is it?"

"I-instance? What is that?" Bai Wan appeared to be in extreme panic.

"It really is his first time," Sun Qian muttered with a hint of pity. To have his first instance be an "Unsolvable" level game like 'The Letter'... what luck.

"You really are unlucky," Luo Ya remarked, feeling strangely cheerful. She had been in a foul mood since entering an Unsolvable-level instance, but seeing someone even more pathetic than herself made her feel much better.

Sun Qian explained the nature of the Horror Game to him in detail. Bai Wan seemed stunned, stumbling back a few steps, his voice trembling: "What? The Horror Game is real? No... that's impossible..."

"Accept reality, or you'll die faster," Luo Ya said, showing disdain for the newcomer who couldn't face the truth, forgetting that she had spent her first instance screaming for an hour.

"Brother, you'd better get into character quickly. It's the only way we can clear the game. There's no getting out of the Horror Game," the delivery rider Wang Jian sighed helplessly. Once you enter the Horror Game, no one is the master of their own fate.

"Little brother, what is that picture you're carrying on your back?" Sun Qian asked, voicing everyone's curiosity.

Upon hearing the question, Bai Wan's expression turned even more despondent. "A month ago, my parents and grandfather were in a car accident, so..."

The group sighed, their pity for Bai Wan deepening. The image of a sentimental child clinging to photos of his deceased family instantly formed in their minds. Only Bai Wan could hear the cursing coming from inside the photos.

"Xiao Wan, watch your tongue! Who are you saying is dead?!" his mother, Zhang Yan, shouted.

"You damn brat! Your grandfather is the one who's dead! You unfilial son!" his grandfather, Bai Ren, roared.

His father, Bai Tian, hesitated before whispering into the grandfather's ear: "Dad, you are his grandfather..."

Bai Ren: "..."

Seeing that Bai Wan had lost his parents and had been thrown into an Unsolvable-level instance, the others couldn't help but lament the cruelty of fate.

"Little brother, why don't you introduce yourself as well?" Sun Qian suggested.

By now, Bai Wan seemed to have pulled himself together. He nodded and said, "Right, yes. I'm a student. This is my first instance. My parents wanted me to stay sunny and keep a childlike heart, so they named me Liu Tong."

Su Yueling: "..."

"Liu Tong, a great name! Brother Liu Tong, let's analyze the instance together. Don't despair; I believe if we work together, we can surely clear it," Sun Qian said, trying to encourage him.

"That's right, Liu Tong, let's live through this together."
"Liu Tong, you can do it."
"It's okay, Liu Tong, everything is in the past."

Listening to these repeated mentions of "Liu Tong," the corner of Su Yueling's mouth twitched. He hadn't forgotten to drag Liu Tong into this even in an Unsolvable instance. She really felt bad for Liu Tong.

After offering some comfort, the group began discussing the instance.

"The objective is simple: survive seven days and don't leave the house after 10:00 PM. But the question is, why is the instance called 'The Letter'?" asked Xu Bing, the usually quiet freelancer.

The others looked confused. The game was called 'The Letter,' but where was the letter?

Just then, a knock sounded from outside the wooden cabin.

*Knock! Knock! Knock!*

Everyone was startled. With a corpse on the floor, they certainly couldn't open the door. Besides, they didn't know if what was outside was human or a ghost.

*Knock! Knock! Knock!*

The knocking continued. After about thirty seconds, it stopped. Then, they heard a soft *thud* outside.

"Something seems to have dropped outside the door," Su Yueling said.

"I heard it too," Sun Qian nodded.

After waiting a while, seeing no movement, he gathered his courage and walked toward the door—it was still daytime, which was relatively safer. He opened a crack in the door, and his expression shifted. A yellow envelope was lying on the floor.

The "Letter" from 'The Letter' had arrived.