【I have a haunted house】Chapter 5: 25 Minutes and 14 Seconds!

"Talent skill? The rewards from Nightmare-level tasks are quite different from other missions. It seems that the reward directly affects me, capable of transforming my very self!"

After noting this down, a spark of anticipation ignited within Nick. He had already glimpsed another world—one cloaked in shadows, dangerous, terrifying, and teeming with murderous intent. With his current abilities, he couldn't even protect himself, let alone search for his parents.

But, fortunately, he possessed the black phone. The future was not without the chance for a comeback.

"It's too early to think about all that. First, I need to stabilize the haunted house business and deal with the current predicament," he mused, pulling out his phone. "Tonight was heart-stopping. We nearly had an accident. Clearly, Nightmare-level tasks are no joke. My power alone is limited. It’s better to involve more people, let them brainstorm and help me."

He logged into several popular paranormal forums and uploaded the original video.

Within minutes, the video he titled Who is in the Mirror? was being rapidly viewed and shared. People, tired of the usual entertainment gossip, were eager for a change of pace. The video's popularity snowballed, and each time the comments refreshed, dozens more appeared.

"Front-row tip! 25 minutes and 14 seconds, high energy!"

"This uploader is either insane or seriously disturbed! Who in their right mind would do something like this in the middle of the night?"

"Why did the mirror crack by itself? And what the hell was that thing trying to break out of it?"

"The mirror breaking must be due to thermal expansion, the room temperature wasn’t even."

"You guys don’t know anything! The mirror is yin in nature, it attracts evil spirits. This video should be called There’s a Ghost in the Mirror!"

"Jesus, I’m drenched in cold sweat! I seriously admire the uploader’s courage."

"This video is definitely edited. If not, I, Zhang Dazhu, will do a 360-degree spin and eat shit!"

"Am I the only one who noticed? The uploader’s avatar is the facade of a haunted house in the West Suburbs. Don’t get all excited, this is probably an advertisement."

Nick’s forum account was bombarded with private messages—some from the curious, others from skeptics. But he ignored them all.

The video was entirely real, and those who understood would understand. He had no need to waste time explaining to those who didn’t.

Watching the view count rise steadily, Nick keenly realized this was an opportunity. He split the original video and cut out the last fourteen seconds, uploading it to the largest domestic short-video app.

Amid the sea of dance routines, food videos, and skits, his paranormal video stood out like a flower in the snow.

Within mere seconds, it had caught the attention of unsuspecting bystanders. Unlike the forum users who had built a tolerance to such things, these innocent viewers were left terrified and began furiously cursing in the comments section.

There’s no love without cause, nor hate without reason. The inexplicable rage drew in more viewers, and soon, Nick’s comment section was overwhelmed.

Looking at the furious comments flooding in, Nick could almost feel the anger through the phone screen. But his psychological resilience was far stronger than that of these random viewers, and he was unbothered. In fact, it almost made him want to laugh.

He understood them all too well. It was three in the morning, they were snuggled in their blankets, ready to watch some cute girl talk sweetly, say a few coquettish words, then drift off to sleep.

But the moment they opened the video, they saw a living person playing with candles and a mirror. The atmosphere was completely off!

Even worse, the video was only fourteen seconds long. Before they could process what was happening, the worst horror struck—

The mirror shattered, and something in it slammed against the glass, as though trying to break through the screen!

Excuse me? The sheer intensity of it was suffocating!

"Looks like the comment section’s heating up, and the view count isn’t dropping anytime soon. Seems like everyone loves my video," he said, a smug grin creeping onto his face. "My follower count’s risen by over a hundred. In this case, how could I not advertise my haunted house?"

He quickly changed the title and added a detailed address for the haunted house in the most visible part of his profile, finishing with a cheeky note: Not at all terrifying, haunted house.

Satisfied with his profile, Nick glanced at the comments section once more, then lay back against the window sill, eventually falling asleep.

...

The sun’s rays gently touched his face, rousing Nick from his slumber. He stretched, groaning as his sore body creaked.

"It's 8:30," he muttered. After tidying up, he stuffed the doll into his pocket and grabbed his phone, opening the bathroom door.

The wooden door was marked with deep scratches, as though it had been gnawed by mice.

"What was outside the door last night?" He paused, suddenly feeling a tinge of relief that he hadn’t ventured out.

"Nightmare-level tasks create unknown variables. I’ll need to be even more cautious from now on."

Most of the other props in the haunted house hadn't changed, so he paid them little attention. He pushed open the haunted house’s main door and stepped into a new day.

The New Century Theme Park opened at 9 a.m., but at 8:45, a petite, cute girl with a rather impressive chest ran toward him, bag slung over her shoulder.

"Boss!"

The girl exuded youthful energy, her delicate features glowing under the early sunlight, resembling a perfectly ripe peach—so tempting it almost made one want to bite.

"Xiaowan, you're just in time. I’ve added a new track to the music library. Let’s go listen to it together," Nick said, but before he could finish, Xu Wan excitedly grabbed his arm.

"What’s with you?"

"I just heard a bunch of people talking about the haunted house at the park entrance! People are actually queuing up to experience our haunted house!" Xu Wan’s voice trembled with excitement. "Boss, we’ve got visitors!"

"Isn’t it normal to have visitors? You act like you've never seen a crowd before." Nick feigned calmness, pretending not to care. He pulled out his phone and checked his short-video profile. His followers had surpassed five hundred, and the comment section was so hot it had made it into the top ten new user rankings. Unlike other profiles that were brimming with positive comments, his was filled with turmoil. One commenter even claimed they’d wet the bed after being scared and were now sharpening a knife on their way over.

"Seems like things might have gotten a little out of hand..." Nick cleared his throat, pulling Xu Wan into the haunted house. "The park opens in fifteen minutes. Right now, it’s just the two of us working in the haunted house. We’re in for a tough battle today!"