Chapter 24 Collapse of the Anchor_1

All creatures, including humans, possess an instinct to subconsciously flee danger and seek a safe place.

However, there's a place where the lines between danger and safety blur, leaving people unable to distinguish if they're in peril or secure.

Such a place is the realm of dreams.

Although Wang didn't know it, he was indeed entering a dream in an unconventional manner, vividly experiencing its peculiarities.

He instinctively felt something was off everywhere around him, yet it seemed there was nothing wrong.

This mingling sensation of safety and danger was driving Wang to the brink of madness.

Taking a strategic sip of water, Wang glanced at the heart rate monitor on the screen and discovered his pulse had slowly climbed to 110.

He hadn't even done anything yet!

Coughing, Wang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and cautiously said, "So... based on what that old gentleman said earlier, we should go play around here."

"You're the streamer, you make the decision."

"Right, right, we're just watching with closed eyes. Wang, just do whatever you want, we don't mind," the audience chimed in.

Watching Wang suffer usually brought the viewers great joy.

After all, seeing someone's reactions while they play horror games is the greatest pleasure these games provide.

But today, for some reason, even with Wang as a buffer, they felt their skin crawl and dared not watch intently.

The quality of the game's graphics seemed to transport the stuff of their dreams into reality, giving them the illusion that reality and dreams were slowly blending together.

A feeling rooted in cultural genetics began to awaken, letting them perceive horror and eeriness in ordinary everyday items.

Gathering his spirit, Wang said, "I get it now, this game must be a classic Chinese horror. Instead of presenting jump scares, it continuously exerts a psychological influence on the player through the atmosphere. In the end, even without ghosts or monsters, it can still instill fear."

"I've played it too," one viewer agreed, "The game I played before was just a normal little game, but it really scared the pee out of me. The whole process was just click, click, click and then ending with a ghost marriage, but it was super scary."

"The concept of a ghost marriage is terrifying in itself!"

Explaining this ritual allowed everyone to temporarily forget the game, but after the discussion, they still had to return to it.

Standing in the living room, Wang found the game environment to be very bright.

Outside the window was the brilliant sunshine, and every now and then, the sounds of sparrows could be heard, which helped slow his heart rate.

But soon after, a comment from a viewer sent his pulse racing again.

"Wang, look up, there seems to be something above you!"

"I'm not looking up!" Wang shouted instinctively, "Looking up will definitely trigger a jump scare!"

"You just said there weren't any!"

"You believe anything I say? I'm not looking up!"

"I'll recharge for you! Twice! Please look up, or I'll scare myself to death. At least let me know what's above."

Succumbing to the allure of money, Wang reluctantly looked up, and his heartbeat instantly soared to 140.

Above him, there was a mass of red threads densely covering the ceiling, as if he'd entered Pansi Cave, albeit at the wrong time.

Every ten centimeters on the red threads hung a yellow talisman, creating an extraordinarily eerie sight.

Even though there were no jump scares, this bizarre scene emerging out of the mundane left Wang feeling numb in his limbs, unable to move for a long while.

Finally, he shifted his gaze toward the door leading out and said to all viewers, "How about we just call it a day?"

"That's fine, Wang, no worries."

"Right, right, you're forgiven for today. If you don't know what else to do, you could try the 'Don't Smile Challenge,' and we won't call you a lifestyle area uploader."

"Or you could read comments instead; come on, we'll recharge for you, let's leave it at that for today."

Everyone was suffocated by the game's eerie atmosphere, except for one person.

That person was Fang Cheng.

Seeing Wang was already thinking of quitting, Fang Cheng found it somewhat unbelievable.

The game hadn't even properly started yet, why were you planning to leave already?

The educational part of the game hadn't appeared, and you want out after just a glimpse? Could that be acceptable?

At that moment, Fang Cheng had a sudden inspiration, realizing he had an unresolved debt with Wang.

Wang had promoted his "Princess Dungeon," which was the cause.

So he felt it necessary to offer some sort of reward, which would be the effect.

Although there was no prior agreement between them, the cause and effect were established and would not shift.

Fang Cheng didn't like to owe others causality. He simply took the opportunity to head back together.

So, decisively he recharged and changed the battery, then bought the other party a spaceship gift worth about 4000 bucks and sent it over.

In the accompanying message, he wrote, "Keep playing."

The moment the highest valued gift was received, spaceship effects immediately popped up in the live stream, and Fang Cheng's message appeared in the most prominent spot of the broadcast.

Hearing the gift alert, Wang instinctively said, "Thanks, boss, you're so generous."

But after seeing Fang Cheng's message, he said with a wry smile, "I really can't play this. For some reason, playing this game always makes me feel suffocated."

However, just as he finished speaking, another spaceship appeared.

Glancing at the sender's ID, Wang's heart skipped a beat.

Isn't this the Living Immortal?

You really treat me like a toy, huh!

He wanted to refuse, but another spaceship popped up.

The words on the screen seemed like a death omen, filling the screen with the phrase "Keep playing."

Empowered by the little spaceship, Wang felt a surge of energy.

Downing a can of Red Bull, his adrenaline hit the roof!

Slamming the table, Wang declared, "Let's continue."

The other viewers went wild.

"Wang, please don't!"

"Wang, isn't life good? Don't be reckless."

"Kid, come back home, dad won't blame you."

But spurred on by Fang Cheng's money, Wang mustered the courage, rushed to the door, took a deep breath, and twisted the lock to charge out.

Outside the door, only the staircase led downwards, towards the exit on the ground floor.

At this moment, the sun shone brightly outside, and the air was filled with the chirping of birds and the fragrance of flowers.

The spider plants placed on the window sills of the corridor were lazily enticing, glistening with moisture.

The sister from upstairs was climbing the steps, her plastic bag containing half a slab of pork and a long green onion.

The whole scene was imbued with the essence of life and a hint of ambiguous color, making Wang feel as if he was seeing his first love.

Then, the big sister approached, gave him a gentle smile, and said softly, "Be careful when you're out playing. If you encounter a ghost hitting the wall, don't panic, just cry."

After these cryptic words, the big sister gently tousled Wang's hair and then walked up the stairs step by step.

Wang's heart rate, which had just calmed down, spiked again.

Sister, what do you mean?

Wang felt like he had been summoned back from the dead, with goosebumps layering his back, unable to settle down.

"Boss," he couldn't help but say, "Immortal, can we not play anymore? I really can't take it."

Here comes the little spaceship!

"...I've abandoned this life; I'm devoted to the gentleman! Today, let's stick to this game no matter what!"

Grasping the handrail, Wang descended the stairs with a resigned determination, step by step.

Yet somehow, what should have been just a few flights of stairs seemed endless at that moment.

Alone on the empty stairs, without help or knowing whom to call for help.

And the surroundings became eerily stranger, with the vine chairs placed at the stair entrance seemingly moving on their own.

There were no doors, yet someone had put up couplets and lucky characters, even a "Safe Entry and Exit" sign.

A few households had their inner doors open but were separated by security gates, through which he could vaguely see an old man with his back to the door, watching TV.

But the TV just showed static, nothing else.

Grandpa, what exactly are you watching?

If you want to watch something specific, I'll find it for you, just don't scare me, okay?

Walking up these never-ending stairs, Wang finally broke down.

Whoever wants to play this damned game, let them play!

I'm not serving anymore!