The layout of the second floor was similar to the first, but most of the rooms appeared to be bedrooms rather than functional spaces. As they continued searching for clues, the familiar mechanical voice sounded in their heads:
Clue 2 discovered: "A long period of hunger will weaken the monster, but weakness is relative."
"It looks like clues are shared with the whole team once found. I've got to say, this beginner stream is surprisingly considerate," Chen Shang commented with a smirk.
After exploring the second floor for a while, they approached the central area and ran into the student and the delinquent again. The five regrouped, and the student took center stage, summarizing their current findings.
"It seems the second floor only had that one clue. The castle has staircases on either side, and the rooms inside are complex and interconnected. The monster is a werewolf, extremely strong and fast. In a straight chase, even from a hundred meters away, we'd be caught in less than thirty seconds. The two clues we've found so far don't seem to connect yet..."
As the student analyzed the situation, a loud, rhythmic pounding echoed through the floor below, as if a demolition crew was hard at work.
The others instinctively flinched at the sound, but Chen Shang merely shrugged.
[Is this the demeanor of a true pro? I'm in love.]
[The host is probably thinking, 'No need to panic; I locked it up myself.']
[The monster's locked up in a room on the first floor. It'll take a while for it to break out.]
Chen Shang explained calmly, and the student nodded in approval, casting him an appreciative glance.
"Based on the layout of the castle, it looks like it has three floors. I saw earlier when we came up that the next level is the top floor. Let's split into two groups again. We'll take the staircases on either side and meet in the middle on the third floor. That's the most efficient way to cover ground," the student suggested.
Time wasn't on their side. After quickly discussing the plan, the group split into two once more and began exploring the top floor.
As the student had mentioned, the castle only had three floors. When Chen Shang, the office worker, and the older man arrived on the third floor, they began a thorough search.
Though the castle was large, the third floor had fewer rooms and felt more open, making the search simpler. Before long, Chen Shang's group discovered the third clue, carved into a dresser in one of the bedrooms:
"Salvation is before you, and salvation is beneath you."
Chen Shang's eyes lit up as he read the clue.
[What do these clues even mean? Can someone smarter than me explain?]
[Uh, maybe they're telling the host to give up?]
[LOL, that's hilarious. Maybe salvation is in the afterlife?]
[Just wait. The host will probably decode it in a second.]
[How do you know? You act like the host is your dad or something.]
[Get lost, troll. Let us enjoy the stream.]
As the comments bickered, the two groups reconvened in the center of the third floor. It was clear from their expressions that the other group had found nothing.
"We've already spent four hours here," the older man said, glancing at his pocket watch.
"We don't have much time left before nightfall. The last clue must be well hidden. I'll use my Fortune Teller ability to find it. Wasting any more time would be foolish," the student declared, pulling a piece of parchment from his pocket.
He opened the parchment, and flames ignited on its surface, burning an image of a fireplace into the paper.
"Wait... haven't we already checked that fireplace?" the delinquent asked, frowning.
The student's eyes brightened with realization.
"Of course! There are two clues hidden in the same spot. One's obvious and one's deeper. This way, we'd focus on the surface-level clue and ignore the one hidden beneath."
Everyone nodded in agreement. It made sense. They all followed the student as he led the way downstairs to investigate the fireplace again.
But just as they were heading down, the sound of thudding paws and a chilling howl echoed through the castle.
"Shit! The monster's broken out! Run!" the student shouted, dashing toward the stairs in the opposite direction of the howl.
Everyone scrambled after him.
[Here we go again! The chase is back on!]
[This time it's on the third floor, which is a lot more open. No more playing the door-closing game.]
[Go Grandpa Werewolf!]
[??? Are you seriously rooting for the boss?]
The sound of the werewolf's pounding footsteps grew closer, like a death knell.
Chen Shang, running third in line, glanced back to see the three-meter-tall beast closing the distance between itself and the office worker, who was at the back of the group. It was only about ten meters away now. Every time the monster's paws hit the floor, it seemed like it was about to snap her up.
If things continued like this, the office worker would undoubtedly be caught.
In a split second, Chen Shang reached into his backpack, pulled out his camera, turned around, and snapped a picture of the beast mid-chase.
With a click, the werewolf froze in place, trapped for five seconds. Chen Shang tossed the newly developed photo aside, tucked the camera back into his bag, and resumed running.
Luckily, they were close to the staircase, and five seconds was just enough time for everyone to get down to the second floor, where the maze of rooms would slow the monster down again.
Once they reached the second floor, Chen Shang repeated his earlier tactic, leading the group through the labyrinth of rooms while locking doors behind them.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]