Relying on Beauty to Commit Crimes in the Escape Game

Advertisement

 

 

To avoid attracting the nurses’ attention, Bai Hua sat at their table. He had initially wanted to sit next to Li Xi, but he was rudely driven away by Li Xi, so he ended up sitting across from Duan Zhen.

 

“Today, we accidentally discovered an elevator leading to the underground. We thought there might be clues, but when we went down, it turned out to be a dark corridor. At the end, there was an iron door that clearly wasn’t locked, yet we couldn’t push it open,” Bai Hua recounted the situation. “We tried pushing the iron door for a while, but without success. We thought maybe the conditions weren’t right, so we wanted to turn back, but…”

 

He paused: “But suddenly everything went black, and we lost consciousness. When we woke up, there was one person missing from the group.”

 

“How do you know Bai Er died?” Duan Zhen asked.

 

“We have a connection between us,” Bai Hua explained, pointing to his own body: “It was purchased in a shop. I can sense the condition of others.”

 

Advertisement

Li Xi blinked softly.

 

There were many technological items in the shops that also absorbed a lot of magic when integrated into their world. Based on Bai Hua’s description, this kind of contract clearly belonged to the magical side.

 

But in their world, there weren’t truly equal contracts.

 

Looking at the bright side, they were bound by a partnership contract, but judging by their interactions, it seemed more like a master-servant contract.

 

Advertisement

A slight ironic smile tugged at the corner of Li Xi’s lips.

 

This smile flashed by in an instant, and Bai Hua didn’t notice. He continued, “The cause of Bai Er’s death is unknown, and the reason why that person spared us is also unclear.”

 

“But that’s not what you said at first,” Xia Qirong said while his face betrayed his weirded out look. “I remember quite clearly. You said the iron door was locked, so it seems like you had the intention of having us pave the way for you.”

 

Bai Hua lowered his head, his voice sincere. “I was just caught up in the moment. Now that I think about it, when we go on missions together, there’s strength in numbers. It’s better than infighting.”

 

He said it nicely, but in reality, it was uncertain if the two teams shared the same standpoint. Xia Qirong wanted to say more, but Duan Zhen stopped him.

 

Advertisement

“We found Bai Er’s body in the hill behind the hospital,” Duan Zhen said coldly. “Buried together with a pile of skeletons.”

 

Bai Hua was taken aback. He hadn’t expected them to uncover the flaw in his story because of this. He felt somewhat regretful but kept his expression unchanged. He asked, “Did you discover anything?”

 

“No signs of external injuries,” Duan Zhen stated.

 

“Actually…” Li Xi finally couldn’t hold back and interjected: “Have you ever considered a non-natural event, like magic playing a role in what happened?”

 

He lightly tapped the tabletop with his fingertip: “His death seemed like his soul was directly taken by a necromancer.”

 

As if worried they wouldn’t believe him, Li Xi added, “I’ve encountered necromancers in instances before. Many people died then, so I remember this method quite well.”

 

“A necromancer?” Duan Zhen frowned.

 

“Look at the background of this hospital. They treat critically ill patients, and after they’re treated, their personalities change drastically. A necromancer could do that,” Li Xi explained. He glanced at Duan Zhen and he weakened his voice: “I’m just providing a possibility. It could also be another reason.”

Advertisement

 

“That’s indeed possible,” Duan Zhen patted his head, which was covered by a hat. “You’ve given us a new perspective. Thank you.”

 

“No…. it’s nothing at all,” Li Xi’s face quickly turned crimson.

 

If he had known Duan Zhen would pat his head, why would he wear a hat!

 

And Duan Zhen’s manner of saying thank you was quite charming.

 

Li Xi used the back of his hand to cool his flushed face. He didn’t pay attention to the rest of the discussion. He muttered under his breath, truly bewitched by his attractiveness. He somewhat understood now why emperors of the past were willing to give up their kingdoms for beauties.

 

It was the first time Bai Hua had seen them interact so intimately. He clenched his hand under the table, his nails digging into his palm.

 

Lunchtime ended, and the initial nurse entered. However, this time she didn’t rush them back into their rooms. Instead, she placed a few agreements on the table in front of them. She said in a cold tone, “Sign these agreements. Your surgery will be planned for tomorrow.”

 

“What if we don’t sign it?” Duan Zhen lowered his head to look at the thick stack of papers.

 

“Your conditions can only hold until tonight. If you don’t sign the agreement, you will undoubtedly die tonight,” the nurse continued.

 

“Sign the agreement, and get surgery tomorrow. Don’t sign, die tonight. This agreement of yours can only buy us another night of life,” Xia Qirong sarcastically remarked.

 

The nurse ignored him and monotonously said: “The signing of this agreement is based on voluntary principles.”

 

While they were talking, Li Xi picked up the agreement in front of him and quickly scanned it.

 

The words on the thick stack of agreements were of no use. As soon as he touched them, he realized it was a magical contract. The actual contents of the contract were written with magically imbued ink on the bottom layer, visible only through special means.

 

Li Xi covered the paper with his magic, instantly grasping the contents of the contract.

 

This contract was even harsher than the so-called master-servant contract. Merely signing their names on it would grant the other party the power to decide life and death with a single thought. It could even determine the ownership of their souls, willingly given away.

 

Extracting souls through various means was something necromancers enjoyed doing, but this time, this method was directed at him.

 

Li Xi involuntarily tightened his grip on the agreement, almost crumpling the paper.

 

He didn’t dare imagine what would have happened if he hadn’t followed Duan Zhen this time. If the other had been deceived into signing the agreement, the treasure he had painstakingly sought might have been taken away through such despicable means.

 

His lips pressed tightly together, the surrounding atmosphere seemed to freeze in response to his rare anger.

 

The aura of a demon lord pressed upon this space’s inhabitants, but it oddly avoided the group in front of him.

 

“Li Xi?” After finishing reading the agreement, Duan Zhen turned around and noticed Li Xi’s bowed head. His entire body appeared to be tense, so he walked over with concern. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

 

“…It’s nothing.” Li Xi stayed silent for a moment and then lifted his head to look at him.

 

As those words left his mouth, all the pressure dissipated. He reverted back to that soft and fragile little white flower.

 

Furrowing his brows, he pressed his reddened lips together, his face expressing unease. “Don’t sign this agreement. It feels very wrong to me.”

 

“By just reading the words, it seems alright,” Bai Hua said.

 

“No matter how you look at it, this kind of agreement isn’t normal,” Xia Qirong quickly added, “If you want to sign it, go ahead. We won’t.”

 

Although he didn’t notice anything wrong with the contract’s content, he trusted Li Xi’s keen psychic abilities and wanted to support his own team member.

 

Bai Hua managed a forced smile. “I know I did wrong before, but there’s no need to target me like this. I also want to pass this instance. None of us want to die here.”

 

Xia Qirong replied with a sarcastic sound.

“In that case, we won’t sign,” Duan Zhen placed the agreement back on the table. “In a world like this, signing your name casually could easily lead to exploitation.”

 

If the mastermind really was a necromancer, then it would be unwise to go through with this foolish act.

 

No one in Duan Zhen’s team signed the agreement, and Bai Hua, after much inner conflict, refrained from signing as well.

 

The nurse showed no reaction to this outcome. She gathered the agreements and turned to leave: “It’s time for you to go back to your rooms.”

 

After saying that, she turned away and left. She didn’t even intend to monitor them.

 

“So, now that they’ve determined our death date, they’re just going to ignore us?” Xia Qirong’s surprised expression emerged: “Aren’t we, at the very least, wealthy big shots who can afford the fees?”

 

“Let’s think about how to survive tonight,” Bai Hua suggested. He seemed a bit impatient, nibbling on his thumb: “Those monsters couldn’t enter our rooms last night probably because we were still considered patients. But now that we’ve ‘died,’ there won’t be any hospital rooms to hide in.”

 

Duan Zhen glanced at Li Xi and saw the youth indeed shrink slightly. He patted Li Xi’s shoulder. “Don’t be afraid.”

 

“I’m not scared,” Li Xi whispered, moving closer to Duan Zhen. “Brother Duan will protect me, and I’ll try my best not to drag the team down.”

 

His voice was feeble, but he still tried to sound confident. Duan Zhen gazed at him, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

 

“Since nobody’s watching, let’s continue searching for clues in the hospital,” Duan Zhen said. “It’s just an intermediate-level instance; there must be a way out.”

 

“Okay,” Li Xi obediently agreed.

 

Earlier, due to his anger, his magic had inadvertently spread, and he had located the necromancer’s position. He had even made a minor attempt to take action. But having stirred up so much, Clemens probably also sensed his presence. It would be better to leave this world early…

 

However, he couldn’t help but feel that Clemens might have been spying on him all along.

 

The race that lived in darkness, trying to conceal themselves, was practically invisible. This made Li Xi’s predicament all the more troublesome.

 

He sighed in frustration, quickly took a few steps, and grabbed Duan Zhen’s hand. He daringly held onto the other’s arm, looking at him with a pitiable gaze. “I’m a little scared. Can I hold onto you like this, Brother Duan?”

 

The term “Brother Duan” sounded soft and sweet, causing Duan Zhen to pause for a few seconds. He calmly nodded his head, but the next second, he hastily averted his gaze, focusing on what was ahead.

 

Sun Le, who was trailing behind them, had a look of understanding in his eyes.

 

Bai Hua… so suspicious (；⌣̀_⌣́)

Also things seem to be picking up! And it seems like Duan Duan isn’t all that oblivious to Li Xi’s charm (◕‿◕)

 

Thank you for reading! You can consider checking out my ko-fi for bonus releases (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ