Free Web NovelChapter 165: Chapter 165: All Thanks to My Wife!
Xiong Jie remained silent. If it were anyone else, he could have decisively said, "No."
But this person was the master; he couldn’t speak with certainty.
"At her current speed, she’ll be surrounded by the ’spirits’ in three minutes." Flying Tiger calculated in the air with one hand, pointing with the other at Ding Ning’s path, working out the route ahead.
"If she moves even a bit faster, she could just barely break through before being caught, but it’s pointless. Following this route, she’ll be surrounded again in another three minutes."
As soon as Flying Tiger finished, everyone saw the white spirits madly closing in on the little red dot representing the challenger.
Ding Ning slowed her pace—she was intentionally controlling her speed. She couldn’t stop other spirits from flanking her from different directions, but she could make sure the spirits directly behind her stayed close.
They wouldn’t lose her trail and switch to a different path.
This was one of the best strategies she had simulated—the key was to actively control the spirits’ route, not to run too fast and let them lose track of her.
This way, they wouldn’t be able to find shortcuts to surround her.
She took a deep breath—in her simulations, this wasn’t a long-term solution.
"Hiss—" Zhou Ang saw the little red dot stop and wait for the white spirits, letting them settle right behind, and couldn’t help but gasp in shock.
"Turns out you don’t need to go fast!" He watched as the red dot waited for the spirit body to catch up, then moved forward again.
"That’s almost too quick a solution." Flying Tiger frowned at this scene.
The dungeon Jiang Che created had only just begun, and already someone figured out how to break it.
If enough time passed, Jiang Che’s dungeon would surely be dismantled by this group; every corner would be analyzed and cracked.
"Uncle Xiong, this is actually the correct approach!" Zhou Ang turned to Xiong Jie. "Simply speeding up and running hard is useless—like in city alleyways everywhere’s a shortcut. If you want to keep people from taking shortcuts, the only way is to bait them, make them think they can catch you, but never quite."
Xiong Jie was silent. The master coming up with this solution didn’t surprise him.
If the master could figure it out and pace herself through, the others, once they started, would surely lose their composure.
Jiang Che watched the challenger’s silhouette without speaking.
He only felt that inexplicable possessiveness growing inside, unwilling for others to see the evil spirits in this form.
Jiang Che froze at this thought, then his face hardened, his eyes cleared.
"The fusion will begin soon." Jiang Che knew what was coming next.
Just like in the mental hospital—when staff couldn’t catch a patient, they’d summon someone stronger, like security, to control them.
Ding Ning felt it too—the spirits pursuing her were getting stronger.
She tilted her head slightly, saw spirit bodies forming groups and starting to merge. Every fusion made the spirit bodies stronger.
If they couldn’t catch her, they’d quickly shift corridors to try and block her off.
The upgraded spirits now possessed a hint of intelligence, compared to mindlessly following before.
Ding Ning felt a touch of satisfaction in her eyes—that was the outcome she had deduced earlier.
If they couldn’t catch her, stronger ones would be sent.
If they remained at their previous level, Jiang Che’s group could definitely escape the mental hospital.
And the narrow corridors meant crowding more spirits was meaningless unless they fused, making themselves stronger.
Seeing the spirits fuse and double their strength, Xiong Jie and the others stopped arguing about Jiang Che’s dungeon.
Now, with their strength doubled, these spirits were no longer something the group could break through.
Even so, they watched the little red dot still leaving the spirits behind.
Too strong!
Flying Tiger and Zhou Ang drew in a sharp breath—this challenger was unbelievably strong.
More and more spirits gathered around him, yet he still walked as if in a leisurely stroll.
"Brother Che, is there really no way to change the dungeon’s rules?" Zhou Ang whispered.
If everyone figured out the rules and walked as easily as this, Jiang Che’s dungeon would turn into a cash machine.
"Zzz—" A wind blade sliced open Ding Ning’s sleeve; the black fabric twisted, fraying at the edges like a punctured balloon.
On Jiang Che’s overhead map, the little red dot representing the challenger began to glow—showing he’d just been injured.
Whew—
Flying Tiger relaxed. Judging by the overhead map’s progress, the challenger had only just begun and already covered ten percent of the dungeon.
Mainly, the challenger moved so easily—it made the dungeon feel effortless.
Ding Ning stared at her torn sleeve. She could sense that she’d only traversed a tenth of the route, and already the spirits could harm her.
"If they can injure your projection, it means most humans won’t escape this dungeon," Hua finally found the dungeon satisfactory.
Simulations were one thing, but only after experiencing the real difficulty would she approve of Jiang Che’s work.
Not bad at all.
From her current perspective, the dungeon made by Jiang Che—who used to be someone she could squish effortlessly—deserved that praise.
"Come back now. Even using the projection costs quite a bit." Hua started calling Ding Ning back.
Ding Ning had just wanted to test it, and now she’d done so.
"Let me keep going." Ding Ning picked up her speed.
Because the spirits hunting her were speeding up, too.
Every time the spirits merged, their strength doubled.
Flying Tiger’s group thought that the challenger’s injury meant death was imminent.
But what came next completely defied their expectations.
That injury looked almost accidental.
The spirits chasing after became stronger and stronger, but the challenger ahead only grew steadier.
Always keeping a safe distance from the spirits.
"Too strong," Zhou Ang quietly said, watching the red light dot. "Exactly what level is this challenger?"
On the screen, the spirit light points merged again—their strength doubled once more.
This time, even Jiang Che was surprised. Now, the spirits’ strength matched S-class, maybe even SS-class.
The spirits born in his dungeon were now stronger than him.
All thanks to his wife!
Thinking of his wife who always nurtured his spiritual power, Jiang Che’s lips unconsciously curled up.
A sharp claw tore at Ding Ning’s back—though it was just a projection, she gasped sharply.
Ding Ning felt her projection nearly crushed under the force, bitterness filling her heart.
Now that Jiang Che’s dungeon could ensure no survivors, she was pleased.
But knowing it was built on Red Pearl Mental Hospital’s model—that hurt her.
The ever-strengthening spirit bodies represented Jiang Che once trying to escape Red Pearl, only to meet stronger and stronger foes each time.
