Chapter 177: Scared, I Just Threw Wild Punches (1/4)

This...

Though fiends and ghosts roamed this world, who had ever witnessed such a monstrosity?

To say nothing of its uncanny manifestation, even a mundane specter appearing in such a manner would have been enough to scare them out of their wits!

The creature seemed a physical embodiment of the vexation and ugliness buried deep within their souls; Fang Qi noticed that while the beasts on their screens appeared identical at a glance, a closer look revealed distinct variations. On Su Tianji’s screen, for instance, the entity sprouted countless hands from its trunk, as if clawing to escape the fissures of its own flesh!

The one before Song Qingfeng possessed multiple crimson eyes burrowing into its chest and abdomen! The horrors confronting Song Qingfeng, Xu Zixin, and the others were far more twisted and unnatural than the original designs!

Fang Qi’s cheek twitched... Knowing the System’s stubborn nature, it had likely reconstructed the true, unadulterated Silent Hill within the game...

As a player familiar with the title, Fang Qi understood the uncanny nature of this place far better than anyone else, particularly its unique power to manifest a person’s deepest subconscious into reality.

Those harboring a hidden dark side, carrying such thoughts, would easily plunge into this alternate world.

And the monsters before them were clearly the product of the male protagonist’s "shackles" and "torment"—his inner darkness superimposed upon the players' own, originating primarily from the protagonist's consciousness.

Because it tied directly into the players' inner minds, it inflicted a profoundly harrowing psychological suggestion upon them!

Yet, if a person lacked such darkness within, or possessed very little of it, the creatures would remain true to the original version of Silent Hill 2, much like the one currently facing Shen Qingqing.

Even so, it was terrifying enough! Paired with the suffocating atmosphere built up earlier, even Nalan Hongwu looked utterly bewildered!

Several of the young women wanted nothing more than to huddle together for safety!

Jiang Xiaoyue had already covered her eyes, shrieking, "What on earth is that thing?!"

She feared neither demons nor ghosts, but this...!!??

Most crucially, the protagonist in the game was a ordinary man devoid of any special abilities!

It would be fine if they possessed martial qi, but how were they supposed to fight now?! They dared not even touch it! What if they were grabbed?!

As for fleeing without a fight...

There was no other path to take in this wretched place!

Fortunately, the monsters encountered in the early stages of Silent Hill were not excessively powerful, and since even the girls were accomplished cultivators, their cowardice was only relative.

Over on her side, Shen Qingqing delivered a vicious kick and fled for her life. Fortunately, Song Qingfeng and his companions had trained in martial arts; though their scalps tingled with dread, they instinctively traded a few blows before rushing out with wild cries!

Su Tianji: I haven’t learned any mortal brawling techniques at all!

She was driven nearly to madness!

Fortunately, her mental fortitude far surpassed the others. Cornered against a wall, she unleashed a desperate flurry of wild, chaotic punches to fight back, finally managing to break free and escape!

No one knew how far they ran, but once they finally realized the monster was no longer pursuing, everyone hastily exited the virtual reality mode, chilled to the bone.

Su Tianji turned her head, glaring at Fang Qi—the sole composed soul in the room—wishing she could smash the virtual headset right into his forehead!

She had utterly disgraced herself this time!

To borrow a classic phrase, before starting the game, she had fancied herself a lone wolf from the northern wilderness, confidently boasting in front of her disciple!

Yet, after a mere half-hour of gameplay, she had been reduced to a terrified pup!

Recalling her chaotic flurry of wild punches just now...

Ahhhh!

Su Tianji’s mind was in a frenzy of mortification!

This was far worse, far more humiliating than yesterday’s "divine hiccup"!

Lan Yan and Jiang Xiaoyue huddled together, pressing close to Nalan Mingxue, whose face had also turned noticeably pale.

Dong Qingli and Wan Yu, along with Fenghua and Yuexin, formed another trembling cluster.

Fear, after all, was contagious!

Nalan Hongwu stared at their screens with a dark expression: "Kid Fang, is this how one tempers their mental state?"

"Boss!" Song Qingfeng said, secretly rejoicing at his narrow escape, "Can this even be beaten? One would die of fright before the battle even begins!"

"Exactly!" Shen Qingqing patted her chest, the lingering terror palpable. "Thank goodness I wasn't caught just now!"

Demons and ghosts were nothing to fear, and they could even manage to fight off zombies, but this game began with a letter from the deceased, followed by an ominous town of dead silence where not a single soul or sound could be found! Everything reeked of the uncanny!

And then, a monster like that appeared!

That creature just now... it clearly wasn't something a ordinary mortal's strength could oppose!

"No wonder the boss won't play it himself!" Jiang Xiaoyue had been frightened too, but luckily she wasn't playing. After huddling with the other girls for warmth, her courage had returned considerably, allowing her to deliver a sharp remark, "Turns out he simply doesn't dare to play."

"Indeed!" Lan Yan muttered, "How can there be such a terrifying game!"

"The boss mentioned earlier that he would livestream tonight." Nalan Mingxue fixed her piercing gaze on Fang Qi, as if fearing he might back out.

"It is a livestream tonight," Fang Qi replied as a matter of course.

"..." Su Tianji had intended to challenge Fang Qi to a real-life duel again, but upon hearing his words, she swallowed her complaints. "You truly intend to livestream tonight?"

"Has this boss ever broken a promise to you regarding a livestream?" Fang Qi countered.

"Aren't you afraid at all?" Su Tianji sneered, clearly skeptical.

Fang Qi pointed at the screen. "Look, the protagonist is just an ordinary guy and he isn't afraid, so what is there to fear?"

Fang Qi looked at Su Tianji. "You're not afraid to play anymore, are you?"

Everyone: "..."

"As I see it," Nalan Hongwu spoke up at this moment, "since this game was created to temper one's mental cultivation, a bizarre atmosphere is only natural. But since it is a trial of the mind, there must be a way to clear it. Am I correct, kid?"

Fang Qi shrugged noncommittally.

Nalan Hongwu continued, "Just now, even as an ordinary protagonist, you all managed to escape the monster's clutches, which proves it is not as invincible as imagined."

Hearing Nalan Hongwu's words, the eyes of the group lit up. "Old Master, does that mean even an ordinary person has a chance of survival?"

"Naturally," Nalan Hongwu said. "Otherwise, what would be the purpose of creating such a game?"

"No wonder..." Su Tianji quickly calmed down, realization dawning upon her. "In such an environment, the more unstable one's mind, the easier it is to make mistakes and lose one's life. Only by maintaining a calm disposition can one find a sliver of hope."

"This game truly possesses profound intentions!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Xu Zixin and Shen Qingqing exchanged bewildered glances, staring suspiciously at Fang Qi, highly doubting whether the game's true intent was merely to terrify people out of their wits before forcing a breakthrough from despair.

"Boss! You're really playing tonight, right?" Shen Qingqing asked once more to confirm, still harboring doubts.

"Of course!"

"Then this master shall try again!" Su Tianji declared with a grim face. She would absolutely never admit to lacking mental cultivation; if Fang Qi could play this game, what did she have to fear?

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