Bai Youwei picked up the stuffed rabbit and casually draped a blanket over her shoulders, then walked to the door.

Then she gripped the door handle.

She was actually a little hesitant, so she stayed like that for a long time.

Even if she wasn’t afraid of elimination, nobody actually *wanted* to be eliminated…

Bai Youwei stood in place, deliberating — and as she hesitated, the door handle in her hand suddenly moved on its own.

Click.

A tiny sound, yet in the silence of the night it was unmistakably clear…

Bai Youwei froze.

She watched as the door handle she was gripping slowly turned to one side…

Click.

Another sound — the handle turned to a certain angle and stopped, caught.

Because the door was bolted from the inside.

Bai Youwei held her breath, and slowly, let go of the handle.

The door handle began turning on its own — click-click! Click-click!

The sounds grew faster and more frantic! Until at last they banged against the door panel with reckless abandon, one thunderous crash after another, as though trying to tear the door off its hinges!

Bai Youwei’s heart leapt into her throat — she stumbled back two steps in shock, clutching the rabbit even tighter in her arms.

Someone was outside!

Someone outside was trying to break into this room!

She stared hard at the endlessly turning door handle, every nerve in her body strung tight — the moment that person burst in, she would strike them down!

But suddenly, the sounds stopped.

The door handle ceased moving, the crashing vanished… and everything returned to silence.

Bai Youwei furrowed her brow. After a moment, she stepped lightly toward the door and pressed close, listening carefully for any sounds from outside.

She heard slow, steady footsteps — one, two, three… gradually moving away from her door.

Changing targets? The footsteps seemed to be coming from the direction of Rooms 404 and 405 —

Room 404 was occupied by the man in the plaid shirt, who she believed was called Karl. Room 405 was occupied by a middle-aged woman who always kept a deck of tarot cards tucked in her hand.

Tonight — who would be next?

Bai Youwei pressed her ear against the door, trying to hear more, but there was nothing — the hallway outside was quiet beyond belief.

She slowly sank down and sat leaning against the door to keep watch. The rabbit climbed onto her knee and went back to sleep.

About six or seven minutes later, the footsteps returned, accompanied by a strange new sound — a soft, dragging shuffle, like some heavy object being pulled across the floor…

Bai Youwei waited a little longer, until those footsteps had gone downstairs. Then she gently turned the door handle, wanting to go out and see what had happened.

But she quickly discovered that the bolted door wouldn’t open for her either.

What was going on?

Had the game locked the doors to prevent players from wandering out freely? Or was her door specifically different? Or was it because of her special status as a backup player?

Bai Youwei frowned and stayed behind the door, waiting. She wanted to know whether those footsteps would come back.

Time passed, second by second — and without noticing, she dozed off leaning against the door.

…And slept there until early the next morning.

The unbroken rain blurred the distinction between night and day, and the room remained dim.

When Bai Youwei woke, her first thought was to open the door.

This time it opened easily. She hurried out, intending to check Rooms 404 and 405 for any traces the killer might have left from the previous night —

But the moment she stepped outside, she heard a scream from the third floor!

It was Su Man’s voice!

Bai Youwei’s heart seized — she ran downstairs as fast as she could!

The hallway outside Room 304 on the third floor was already crowded with people!

Bai Youwei shoved through them and pushed her way in — her expression immediately shifted!

The middle-aged woman from Room 405 lay in a pool of blood, her tarot cards scattered all over the floor, and Su Man… stood there holding a bloody knife, staring blankly at the body on the ground.

The Inspector’s voice rang out in the hallway: “How dare someone commit murder right under my nose! I’m placing you all under arrest! Every last one of you!”

—