Hide and Seek: The Mad Girl Sees All novel Chapter 154

Chapter 154

Chapter 154

After Alex left, Jung-hoo stood there, gripping the Trail Incense and Soul Lock Card tightly. He took a deep breath, steeling himself, and pushed open the door in front of him.

The first room, a bathroom. Empty.

The second room, a storage room. Still nothing.

The third room, a utility room. No sign of anyone.

Jung-hoo kept moving, telling himself not to panic. He had over an hour, but only two uses of the Trail Incense, so he couldn’t waste them. He’d search on his own first. ‘No way my luck is that bad, he thought.

Fourth room, fifth room, sixth room.

Nothing. Nothing. Still nothing.

Room after room, Jung-hoo’s hand slowed down as he pushed open each door. With every empty room, he felt his hope slipping away bit by bit.

He’d lost count of how many doors he’d pushed open. He’d even survived two rounds of the maze flipping, but still hadn’t seen a single person. The death announcements had rung out twice, meaning there were at most six Hiders left.

Jung-hoo stood at the doorway, glanced left and right, then went for the northern door and kicked it open hard.

Still empty.

“Damn it!” he cursed out loud. “Is this damn game messing with me or what? If they made me a Hunter, why won’t they let me find any players? Why couldn’t I have been a hider instead?”

He glanced at the countdown on the wall.

[Hunting countdown: 0:58:44]

“Less than an hour left,” Jung-hoo muttered to himself.

Jung-hoo stuck his combat knife back at his belt, wiped his face, his palms drenched in sweat.

Thirty-four players were already dead. The rest were either hiding well, quick enough to escape, or had soul protection. Searching for them in this maze all by himself was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

He took out the Trail Incense, only two uses left.

Jung-hoo closed his eyes, trying to picture a Hider who was weak, alone, and had no soul protection.

The tip of the incense lit up by itself, a thin stream of white smoke rising and swaying in the air before drifting northeast.

Jung-hoo’s eyes lit up, and he immediately headed in the direction the smoke was pointing.

In the first room, the smoke veered north.

In the second room, the smoke kept floating ahead.

Jung-hoo picked up speed, gripping his combat knife tight. Excitement bubbled up inside him. ‘Getting closer, getting closer, he told himself.

As he pushed open the fourth door, the game announcement echoed through the maze.

14

8

O

6

2

KIKA

O

Chapter 154

[Slovania Player, Miranda, has been captured and pronounced dead.]

#5 vouch

The smoke from the Trail Incense in his hand abruptly broke off, the wispy white trail dispersing in midair and fading away.

1-

Jung-hoo stood in the doorway, staring at the incense in his hand. The broken tip had turned black again, and it had gone

cold.

“No!” Jung-hoo yelled, pissed off. “Damn it, someone snatched my target again!”

The player he’d been chasing was already dead, another Hunter beat him to it.

Jung-hoo thought, “Why? Why? Why? Why did it have to be the one I was after?’ Despair crept in. Only five left now.

Jung-hoo just stood there, staring at the incense in his hand. Only one shot left. He lowered his head, looking at the Sou Lock Card, the words on that black surface seemed to glare at him under the light.

[Soul Lock Card: Designate a spirit and trap it for 10 minutes.]

Alex’s words echoed in his mind. “Only use it to save your own skin. Don’t even think about targeting Lily.”

Jung-hoo flipped the card over and back again. He only had one shot left. Even if the incense pointed him to a hider and he managed to kill them, that would only be one kill.

He still needed one more.

With the time I’ve got left, am I even going to run into another player?’ Jung-hoo wondered, a hint of sarcasm in his thoughts.

‘Fat chance with my luck, he thought, sinking deeper into hopelessness.

Jung-hoo let out a bitter laugh. During the hiding phase, when he first entered the maze, he’d actually bumped into people. But once the hunt began, the maze flipped, injured his leg, and he hadn’t seen a single living soul since.

After finally getting his leg patched up, he’d spent ages searching room after room, only to find every single one empty, no players anywhere.

He finally used the Trail Incense, but before he could even find his target, someone else took them out.

Luck?’ Jung-hoo snorted inwardly.

‘What luck? I’ve got none at all, he thought with a grimace.

Jung-hoo stared at the Soul Lock Card, his thumb rubbing back and forth over its surface.

“Lily…” Jung-hoo whispered, the note’s message replaying in his mind: Kill the designated target, and you win the game instantly.

Win the game instantly.

No need for two kills, no need to fight other Hunters for prey in the maze. Just one kill, that’s all it takes.

A ten-year-old girl, that’s all.

Even if she had a soul by her side, the Soul Lock Card could trap it for ten minutes.

Do I really need ten minutes to kill a little girl?’ Jung-hoo thought, the question nagging at him.

Once that thought popped up, there was no way to shake it off.

11:24 Wed,

Chapter 154

“Lyra will come after you if you do this,” Alex’s warning echoed in his mind, chilling him to the bone

But then another thought slammed into him. ‘Surviving is the only thing that matters right now! If I die in this round, what future is there to even worry about?’

Jung-hoo closed his eyes, his thoughts tearing each other apart inside his head.

Kill five people, and you get to choose your prize from the pool.

But he didn’t need five. Just one. If he killed Lily, he’d get her items, claim two from the prize pool, and skip the next round entirely.

Getting a bye was basically a free life.

Jung-hoo bit down hard, stuffed the Soul Lock Card back into his inner pocket, and pulled out the Trail Incense, only on use left.

Jung-hoo stared at the incense, his fingers trembling as he muttered to himself, “Prize pool…”

What should I pick from the prize pool? Just pick something that’ll keep me alive, a Decoy Doll, maybe something to help me escape. Yeah, that’s all I need, Jung-hoo thought, trying to convince himself.

Even if Lyra came after him later, with the right items in hand, at least he could try to make a break for it.

Whether he could actually get away or not was another story, but at least he’d have a chance. If he didn’t act now, he wouldn’t even have that.

If he died this round, it was game over. Everything gone.

“Time to gamble,” Jung-hoo muttered to himself.

Jung-hoo pulled his combat knife from his belt, the blade flashing under the light. He closed his eyes, picturing the little girl from Draconia, her face clear in his mind.

‘Draconia Player, Lily, he repeated silently, the name echoing in his thoughts.

The tip of the incense lit up, and the last wisp of white smoke rose, drifting in the air for a couple of seconds before curving

southwest.

Jung-hoo opened his eyes, watching the smoke. He stepped out, following its trail. His palms were slick with sweat, the knife handle slipped in his grip, so he tightened his hold.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify