Players, Please Board the Train

Angel was not a player; she was just an ordinary person who had taken an evolution agent. Physically, she matched an Evolver, but practically, she was useless. Judging from the fact that she could still trip while walking, she clearly never did any physical training.

Angel ran until she was gasping for breath, but the maze had no end. Eventually, her pace gradually slowed, and she finally collapsed onto the steps.

The night rain was cold, but not as cold as her heart. Before she could catch her breath, footsteps sounded behind her again.

The "click-clack" of shoes striking the steps was more terrifying than death knells. Angel had no choice but to grit her teeth and get up to keep running, but no matter how she ran, the sound followed her like a shadow, always one step behind. She looked back repeatedly but never saw who—or what—it was.

Of course, she didn't dare to turn around and see what was following her. After blindly running for a while, she realized with horror that the steps beneath her were getting deeper, making it harder to run on the uneven surface.

But there was still no end in sight!

She had tried cutting corners and climbing over the decorative walls, but the maze seemed to have multiplied endlessly, leaving her completely disoriented. When she looked up, everything around her was pitch black—she couldn't even tell where the castle was!

"Click-clack! Click-clack! Click-clack!"

The footsteps came again. Angel couldn't take it anymore and screamed for help, "Mr. Xu! Butler Dong! I'm lost in the maze!"

Angel's heart pounded like a drum. She screamed, covered her face, and ran forward blindly. After stumbling for a few minutes, she saw light at the end of the corridor ahead!

"Help!" She rushed over frantically, only to see a pale-faced woman in white standing in the rain, holding the lamp she had dropped!

"Ahhh!!!" A shrill wail echoed across the entire castle grounds. Xu Huo frowned and patted his headboard.

Having already been scared half to death, Angel finally shook off the "female ghost" behind her and rushed back to the castle in a panic. Seeing the dark, looming building ahead, she almost collapsed in despair. She closed her eyes and completely gave up resisting.

"Click-clack, click-clack." Accompanied by footsteps, a small light gradually shone on her face. Angel gritted her teeth so hard they clicked, then heard Mr. Dong say, "Miss Angel, what are you doing lying here?"

Angel snapped her eyes open. Seeing who stood before her, she immediately sat up and instinctively said, "There was..."

But before she could finish, she realized the castle had returned to normal. The nightlights were all on, not bright enough to illuminate every corner, but enough to see by. The paintings hung properly on the walls, with nothing crawling out of them. The eerie, terrifying atmosphere from before had vanished.

Meeting Mr. Dong's eyes, she swallowed her words and changed her tune, "I was a bit thirsty and wanted to get some water, but I got lost when I came out."

Mr. Dong didn't expose her clumsy lie. "You're soaked through. Please return to your room, and I'll prepare some fresh clothes for you."

Angel wasn't just soaked—her hands, feet, and face were covered in small scratches, and her knees and shins were swollen and red, as if she had been severely beaten.

Declining Mr. Dong's offer to help, she supported herself on the railing and went upstairs, a hint of anger rising in her.

Once the fear faded and reason returned, she would have to be a fool not to realize she had been toyed with by the people in the castle!

Fuming, she reached the second floor and came face to face with the Painting Woman standing ahead. The figure's shadow slanted behind her, and within the darkness, it seemed a face was struggling to emerge. Then the corridor suddenly went pitch black. Angel turned to look for Mr. Dong, only to see a hideous, inhuman thing standing behind her, opening its bloody maw and saying, "Why aren't you walking? Seeing things? Old castles like this are like that—sometimes you see strange things. It's all just your imagination."

Angel no longer had the strength to confirm if it was her imagination. Her eyes rolled back, and she fell flat on the ground.

Xu Huo took off his Pumpkin Headpiece and signaled for Mr. Dong to throw her back into her room. "Sneaking in here to steal—she's got some nerve."

Mr. Dong stepped out from behind. "Someone's been lurking outside the castle for the past few days. Word got out that the castle has a new master, and they want to cash in."

"Is this common?" Xu Huo asked.

"Places like castles often attract thieves," Mr. Dong said. "But it's rare for a noblewoman to scout the place like this."

Xu Huo nodded. Angel's family was in a tight spot, unable to sustain high expenses with their income. It wasn't surprising she'd target him, a newcomer to high society.

"After she wakes up, see if she still wants to be my dance partner. If not, send her back." He didn't intend to make things hard for Angel, since she had helped him confirm that the Pumpkin Headpiece was indeed terrifying.

Angel didn't give up on being his dance partner. She used makeup to cover the wounds on her face and, looking exhausted, had breakfast with him.

Xu Huo could see she was scared—her eyes kept darting around as she walked and sat. So he said, "If you're uncomfortable, I can have someone take you back. Don't worry about other issues; I'll prepare a generous gift."

Angel looked at the man eating gracefully across from her, her expression complicated. "I can't go back right now. You must know my family's situation. If I can't find a suitable marriage partner through this opportunity, I'll soon become a commoner, forever stuck at the bottom of society."

"I've heard you're a player?" she ventured, her expression serious, completely dropping her earlier pretenses.

Xu Huo didn't spare her a glance, only nodded.

Angel took a deep breath. "Last night, I was out of line and disturbed your rest. Please don't send me back. I can make amends—you can name any condition, as long as I can do it."

"No need." Xu Huo said flatly. "I won't force you to leave. After the banquet tonight, you can go home with your family."

A huge weight lifted from Angel's heart. Seeing Xu Huo about to go upstairs, she quickly stood up and watched him go, then slumped down in her seat in defeat.

Suddenly, the Painting Woman poked her head out from beside her, blinking as she stared.

They were too close, and Angel instinctively leaned back. Just as she mustered the energy to greet her, the Painting Woman had already sat down at the table. Mr. Dong brought breakfast and then handed over a menu.

"Most of today's banquet dishes won't suit your tastes, miss. This is a specially prepared menu. The master says you can dine in your room."

The Painting Woman ate breakfast while marking the menu, then opened her communicator to shop. Besides formal attire, she ordered various casual clothes without batting an eye.

"You want some?" the Painting Woman asked Angel in a break.

Before Angel could refuse, the Painting Woman grinned and typed, "Not giving you any!"

Angel: ...

Wicked rich people!

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