Without a clear view, Jing Mian couldn’t determine his location, so he moved his character to push slightly with his hand.
The obstacle blocking his view moved away.
“…”
Good grief, Jing Mian realized he was in the trunk of a car.
Jing Mian couldn’t help but admire the developers’ creativity. There was even a dedicated forum on the internet where players shared the bizarre places they had woken up in during the first level of Glory.
“Damn…” The teammate beside Jing Mian muttered, “What’s the deal with waking up in a pigsty…”
Jing Mian couldn’t help but chuckle.
If this post were on Glory’s forum, it would definitely make the front page.
Thinking this, his tension eased considerably.
Next came the intense focus.
After all, every bizarre and unexpected place could hide an enemy who had just woken up.
Some of them were ambushers.
For example, after waking up, they might find a small hiding spot, return to their waking spot, and ambush other players from behind, headshotting them and looting their rich gear.
Jing Mian moved to the nearest room.
Inside was only a shotgun, known as a “spray gun” among players.
It was only useful for close combat, couldn’t shoot accurately, and was as good as a frying pan for self-defense, not very useful.
“SHOOT!”
A prompt sound came from nearby, and Jing Mian realized it was a sound outside the earphones.
It turned out that while everyone was still exploring and looking for gear,
Cen Xian had already made the first kill.
No wonder he was a seasoned veteran with strong skills.
Each team member’s successful kills would be added up, and when they reached the other side of the door, the player with the highest points would decide when to close the red door, eliminating players left in the arena.
While Jing Mian was distracted, a moving figure suddenly appeared in his field of view.
His hand reacted before his brain, and Jing Mian clicked the mouse.
The “SHOOT!” sound of a successful kill followed.
[Damn, that was quick?]
[Don’t tell me you guys really thought MianMian was just a pretty face? The little gun god isn’t just blowing smoke.]
[Damn, that was a reflex shot.]
[Aaaaah, MianMian is amazing.]
[Then Mole came through, showing great potential.]
…
The rest of the team soon followed with their own kill sounds.
Some were bots, some were enemies. When an enemy team member was eliminated, they would take off their headphones, mutter a few curses, and watch their teammates’ screens, offering patient guidance.
As the match progressed, members of both teams were eliminated one by one.
Jing Mian’s teammate took off his headphones and sighed heavily.
Then, his gaze shifted to Jing Mian’s screen.
His eyes widened.
Good grief, he thought the obedient new player would find a couple of good guns, then bravely charge into battle and eliminate enemies.
But,
Jing Mian had already accumulated a variety of guns and magazines.
The sheer number and weight made his character move more slowly.
Teammate: “…” This was not what he expected at all.
It was kind of cute.
Then, he saw Jing Mian switch between different guns effortlessly, with intervals of less than half a second, even choosing the right gun based on the distance to make a decisive kill.
Damn… Can you even do that?
Soon, only three survivors remained on the opposing team.
On Me. Team, only Cen Xian and Jing Mian were left.
The situation was at a disadvantage.
Jing Mian and Cen Xian quickly joined forces, one attacking and one defending, moving through the map in perfect sync despite not speaking or communicating.
… Their coordination was impeccable.
Soon, the red escape door appeared.
Cen Xian, usually the charging character protected by his teammates, moved first, using the cover of vehicles and trees to approach the red door casually yet assertively.
Just as Mole was about to reach it—
A sniper shot rang out without warning.
Cen Xian squinted, as his character’s health dropped by half. The sniper’s position had few cover options and was far away, indicating that the opponent was sniping from a considerable distance, with good skills.
Before he could heal, a second shot rang out.
Cen Xian was taken aback.
He realized this time it wasn’t from the enemy.
It was from his own teammate.
—Jing Mian had pulled out his sniper and, at the same distance, when everyone had almost forgotten about him, headshot the opponent!
This gave Cen Xian ample time to heal.
As Cen Xian was about to reach the red door,
An enemy team member, from the opposite direction of the sniper, couldn’t stand it anymore.
He picked up an assault rifle and fired at Cen Xian.
But before he could fire a second shot, he was headshot again.
The direction… was from the same little sniper who had just helped out.
Then, Jing Mian silently stood up and moved to a relatively hidden corner of the map.
He lifted the hay bale without hesitation or pause and shot the enemy hiding inside.
The air fell silent.
The chat messages, after a brief pause, burst into activity:
[Damn, what happened?]
[In short, headshots all around.]
[What kind of god is this??]
[Aaaaah, high moment! We were almost wiped out, but MianMian saved the whole team single-handedly!!]
[This captain Dawn has some skills. Not letting Jing Mian start, but saving the best for last. The story is perfect.]
[How did he know there was someone under that hay bale?]
…
Jing Mian’s teammate also had this question.
The young man paused, then answered honestly, “I also hid there and was headshot when the hay bale was lifted.”
“It’s because it looks higher from the outside.”
Teammate: “…”
Kid, what have you been through?
So, in the first round, Me. Team had two survivors.
They also gained the advantage of having more players revived for the next round.
“Next round, they’ll definitely let Li Shengwen start.”
Xuan Cheng leaned forward and sighed, “Today was easier largely because their club captain, Greek, didn’t come to the match.”
Jing Mian was taken aback, “Greek?”
“Right,” Xuan Cheng, “the player ranked second on the PK leaderboard.”
Jing Mian hesitated but mentioned the encounter from last night, “Greek used a top invitation to join their team last night. I refused, and he added me as a friend.”
Xuan Cheng: “???!?”
Damn, even though they’re one of the top clubs in the country, they’re still trying to snatch pearls from others’ mouths!?
After understanding the situation, Xuan Cheng pinched his brow and said helplessly, “It’s good that Greek isn’t here, but in the next match, there’s a player named Li Shengwen. He and Greek are a couple.”
Jing Mian only knew a little about one of them.
So he wasn’t particularly interested in the gossip.
Xuan Rui bought a few mint candies and distributed them to the members who needed them.
When she handed one to Jing Mian, her hand accidentally touched his fingertips, finding them ice-cold.
Xuan Rui was taken aback, “MianMian, why are your hands so cold?”
“Is the room too cold?”
Jing Mian paused, then nodded, “A bit.”
More than a bit, his fingertips were like little ice cubes.
Jing Mian was only wearing a single layer, and the chair he was sitting on was cold, offering no warmth.
“It’s my fault! I forgot to mention it,” Xuan Cheng said apologetically. “This venue is like this. The backstage area is temporary, and the heating isn’t good. Only the stage is warm.”
Xuan Rui said, “Wait, I’ll go borrow a jacket from the staff.”
“Jing Mian, you can wear mine.”
An experienced teammate handed over a large coat, saying, “It’s new. I ordered two when I bought the team uniform. It might be a bit big, but you won’t be cold.”
Jing Mian really needed it, so he didn’t hesitate and nodded, “Thank you, senior.”
Soon, the break ended.
The players selected for the second round of the Haunted House also took their places.
Jing Mian was one of them.
Those who had watched Jing Mian’s streams knew that compared to the first level, which was purely a shooting game, Jing Mian was actually better at the second level.
The Haunted House had more fun, a vast map, and many hidden surprises, allowing players to enjoy it dozens of times without getting bored. It also offered many optimal escape strategies.
When combined with team battles, the fun was even greater.
Sitting down again, the teammate next to Jing Mian was a chatterbox, whispering in his ear and introducing the members of the opposing team, including their names and corresponding IDs.
Of course, Li Shengwen was among them.
Soon, the match began.
Jing Mian put on his earphones, and the screen gradually became clear—revealing a slightly dark and dilapidated white room.
The floor and table were made of worn wood, exuding an old, musty smell.
But it felt strangely familiar.
This is… the Haunted House map?
—
[Another Haunted House!!]
[Ha, last stream, I saw MianMian admiring the scenery in the Haunted House.]
[The Haunted House is a classic, but honestly, it’s getting a bit old. If you play it a lot, you might feel like me—knowing where to find supplies, where ghosts appear, and the hidden locations of the big and small bosses… It’s really getting old.]
[+1 to the above]
[Can we get a different map?]
…
But the organizers didn’t listen.
The match continued.
This time, it was a formal competition, and Jing Mian had no time for admiring the scenery. He was fully focused.
He began to recall the details of every time he had played the Haunted House.
Jing Mian wasn’t a naturally gifted player.
So he always concentrated intensely during each playthrough. If he wasn’t confident enough to use it as a tutorial, he would practice it dozens of times on his own.
The Haunted House was one of the maps he was most familiar with.
This gave the young man some confidence.
Jing Mian controlled his character, scavenging for bandages and potions in the room but found no weapons. He decided to explore outside.
To achieve a realistic immersive experience, the Haunted House paid attention to every detail in the game: the faint floating dust, the creaking of the floorboards as shoes walked over them, and the character’s faint, slightly tense breathing…
Jing Mian didn’t walk far before he turned a corner and met a teammate.
They shone their flashlights on each other’s faces and began to exchange supplies.
Then they met another teammate and exchanged supplies again.
They encountered an enemy team member, exchanged glances, and silently passed by.
One of the benefits of the Haunted House map was that while the scenes and bosses remained the same, the escape exits were highly random. They could appear in any room on any floor, and players had to explore on their own.
This meant that every safe room had to be visited, and any of the most dangerous places in the Haunted House… had to be braved.
But the locations that could serve as exits had long been thoroughly explored by players who had studied the map for years.
Once, the only escape point was the toilet in the room where the boss was located.
With such a bizarre idea, everyone couldn’t help but wonder what new twists this game could bring.
As Jing Mian walked, a vague, indescribable feeling began to rise.
Today’s Haunted House… seemed different from the usual practice sessions.
For example, the corner where he usually turned and encountered a ghost was empty.
For example, after he picked up the green potion, the crawling monster that should have appeared didn’t show up.
For example, after Jing Mian gathered his equipment and prepared to enter the main bedroom where the boss was hiding, he found it empty and ghost-free.
…
Jing Mian was a bit confused.
He casually killed a small monster, picked up his backpack, and shone his flashlight, intending to enter a supply room on the third floor of the Haunted House.
According to his memory, that room usually had abundant supplies, making it the best place for healing and restoring stamina.
Just as Jing Mian opened the door, his pupils dilated.
He was stunned by what he saw—
The ghosts that had been missing from the third floor of the Haunted House were now all neatly lined up in this room!
Hearing Jing Mian’s door opening, they all turned their heads and let out low, hissing growls.
Jing Mian: “…!”
In the darkness, Jing Mian’s flashlight was the only light illuminating the ghosts.
… What was going on?
Jing Mian, from his rookie days to his current mastery, had played this map about 40 times, but this was the first time he encountered such a sudden situation.
How could the ghosts gather in one room…
Especially in the safest supply room?
The chat messages from viewers watching Sheep’s perspective surged at this moment:
[Damn, you scared me.]
[I’ve been playing for six years, and this is the first time I’ve seen so many ghosts in one room.]
[+1 to the spectacle. Seriously, how do you even play with so many ghosts? Just give up.]
[MianMian, run!!!]
[What’s going on? Is it a bug??]
…
At the moment the door opened, Jing Mian decisively chose to run.
… Without looking back.
The young man had plenty of equipment, but he could only handle three monsters at most, and that was only if he was at his best.
With so many ghosts surrounding him, they would surely eat him down to the bone.
As Jing Mian ran down the corridor, he wasn’t panicking, but he deliberately ran towards the stairs.
Because the third floor had become a hell on earth.
However, while running, Jing Mian glimpsed a human figure.
The figure flashed briefly and then quickly disappeared.
Jing Mian squinted, realizing it wasn’t his imagination.
It was a human player,
Judging by the clothes, it seemed to be from the opposing team.
Jing Mian’s mind recalled a skill he had seen before.
—When encountering ghosts, instead of fighting, the player would run, leading the ghosts to a satisfactory location, then drink an invisibility potion.
At that moment, the ghosts would suddenly lose their target and stand still.
This skill was very rare and required a lot of in-game currency, specifically for use in dark maps.
Because it was unfair to other players, the administrators often banned players who used this skill, leading to its decreasing use and eventual disappearance from the market.
Could someone on the opposing team have used this skill?
At that moment, the chat messages from the audience revealed the truth—
[Li Shengwen!!]
[Damn, I checked the opposing team’s perspective. It was Li Shengwen who used the invisibility potion. Isn’t this explicitly forbidden in competitions?]
[Bro, it seems the Cross-Server Competition doesn’t have this rule, only the national tournament…]
[Isn’t this a typical loophole?]
[I watched the whole thing! Li Shengwen deliberately targeted Sheep. His teammate told him Sheep was on the third floor, so he went there, used the invisibility potion to attract all the ghosts, and gathered them in the room with the most supplies, waiting for Jing Mian to fall into the trap.]
[I’m so angry! How dare they bully our MianMian!]
…
This behavior clearly enraged the audience.
However, Jing Mian’s escape was still ongoing.
Jing Mian relied on his instincts to navigate the map. He ran through the corridors, jumped over numerous obstacles, and the floorboards creaked, while his character’s breathing was panicked and rapid.
Jing Mian made several tight turns, but the ghosts’ pursuit didn’t slow down at all.
After all, each type of monster had different speeds. Some were slow, some moved at human speed, and some could catch up in just a few steps.
This was undoubtedly a dead end.
Facing so many ghosts, even the whole team together wouldn’t stand a chance. The supplies and potions wouldn’t keep up, and they wouldn’t be able to replenish their stamina and health, leading to a total wipeout.
Jing Mian was also starting to feel desperate.
Where could he run?
He would be caught eventually.
Earlier, whether Jing Mian tried to go upstairs or downstairs, he found ghosts guarding the stairwells. After making eye contact, they joined the chase.
Jing Mian: “…” Just because he glanced at them.
Damn.
At this point, Jing Mian realized that someone had deliberately set a trap for him.
But it was clear that the trap had succeeded, and the situation was beyond reversal.
Jing Mian, by chance, turned into a dead-end alley and suddenly turned, crashing through the wooden door of a room.
Inside, he found a noticeable and dilapidated gap in the wall, large enough for a person to pass through.
—This wall gap clearly led to another room.
And on the floor of that room, there was a rotten and collapsed hole, allowing a direct jump to the second floor.
Ghosts couldn’t cross floors.