After reaching the restroom, Ji Zhiyuan saw the young man beside him entering one of the restroom stalls. He stood guard outside the door.
To prevent any unexpected incidents.
After all, restrooms were considered a high-risk area for supernatural encounters. Even with a group of five, they couldn’t afford to be too careless.
However, what Ji Zhiyuan didn’t expect was that once the young man entered the restroom, he completely disappeared without a sound.
As if he had ceased to exist.
Ji Zhiyuan knocked on the restroom door, but there was no response from inside. Concerned, he forcefully pushed open the door, only to find it empty.
The young man had vanished right under his nose.
After spending the entire afternoon and evening together, the trust and reliance the young man had in him had deepened. It was inconceivable that the young man would leave on his own, and he certainly didn’t have the courage to do so.
Clearly, something supernatural was at play.
Ji Zhiyuan’s expression darkened; he remained vigilant, trying to locate the young man. He could sense that the person was still in the restroom but likely in a different space.
Seemed like a ghost wall...
(T/N: A “ghost wall” is a phenomenon where a supernatural force or spirit hinders or redirects someone’s path, causing them to become disoriented or lost. It might involve mystical barriers or illusions created by otherworldly entities to confuse or trap individuals.)
***
In the eerily quiet early morning, even the slightest sound seemed exceptionally loud.
However, as Ruan Qing entered a restroom stall, besides his own footsteps, there was no other sound.
The world fell into complete silence.
A silence so unnerving that it sent a chill down the spine, and the temperature in the air seemed to drop several degrees. It felt like impending danger was about to strike.
The cubicle that Ruan Qing chose was right next to Ji Zhiyuan’s, and it was not far from the other two players, so it couldn’t be this quiet.
There should be the sound of fabric rustling, but there was nothing. Not even the sound of clothes brushing against each other.
This wasn’t right.
Unless... he was no longer in the same space as the others.
Ruan Qing’s face turned pale instantly. He stiffly turned around, his gaze fixed on the door that hadn’t been locked, and his eyelashes trembled anxiously.
For a moment, he wasn’t sure whether to lock the door or dash out immediately.
Because he wasn’t certain whether the danger was coming from inside the restroom or outside.
If it was from inside, locking the door undoubtedly blocked his escape route.
Helplessly, Ruan Qing bit his lower lip, his body uncontrollably trembling slightly. However, he could only stand there, helpless and pitiful.
Suddenly, there was a faint sound from outside the restroom, sporadic and scattered. Something in the darkness was approaching.
It seemed like the sound of something dragging or the sound of water dripping onto the ground.
The sound seemed echoing, and at the same time, strangely close, causing an inexplicable tingling sensation on the scalp.
Moreover, the sound appeared very abruptly, nothing like someone walking in from outside the restroom. It seemed to manifest out of thin air in the restroom.
Or perhaps... it had been there from the beginning.
After hearing the sound outside the door, Ruan Qing’s heart sank. His hair stood on end instantly, and he shivered, silently locking the restroom door.
Then he took out his phone, intending to call Ji Zhiyuan for help.
They had exchanged phone numbers during their afternoon chat.
However... it wouldn’t connect.
Not only could he not make a call, but there was also no signal on his phone. He couldn’t even dial the emergency number.
Clearly, seeking help from the four players was impossible.
Ruan Qing’s body trembled slightly. His eye sockets turned red in an instant. Cold sweat started to bead on his forehead, and even his thoughts began to blur due to fear.
The strange footsteps and dripping sound had stopped. Instead, there was the sound of something rubbing against the floor, rustling.
It sounded like... the sound of someone dragging something on the ground.
It seemed extremely eerie, giving a bone-chilling feeling.
If it were daytime or working hours, the sound of janitors cleaning the restroom would be normal, but now it was 1 AM, and no one should be working at this hour.
It was obvious that the presence outside was not human.
Ruan Qing tightly clenched his slender fingers, almost pressing the fingertips into the palm, trying to use the pain to stimulate himself and stay calm.
The restroom had only one exit, and he couldn’t escape at all.
Moreover, as soon as he opened the restroom door, he would definitely collide with whatever was outside, and then there would be no way out.
Ruan Qing understood that fear typically stemmed from the unknown and a feeling of vulnerability. However, he knew well that physical attacks were entirely futile against such entities.
This effectively sealed off all his means of escape.
With his weak constitution, he couldn’t even run; he could only rely entirely on the props provided by the system.
Uneasily pursing his lips, Ruan Qing suppressed the fear in his heart, silently took a few steps back, and then stared at the door intently.
Almost instinctively, he held his breath, silently praying that Ji Zhiyuan and the others would discover his absence before whatever was outside the door did first.
However, the sounds outside the door grew increasingly closer, so close that they were right outside his... door.
Ruan Qing’s heartbeat almost stopped when the sound paused outside his door; his face turned even paler, almost devoid of color, and his slender body trembled slightly.
Even his brain and every cell in his body screamed at him to run.
He had been found.
Tears uncontrollably filled Ruan Qing’s eyes. Trembling, he took out his phone and, as a last-ditch effort, dialed Qiao Nuo’s number.
This time, the call unexpectedly went through, even though the no-signal indicator remained in the upper right corner.
As soon as the call connected, a knocking sound echoed, “Knock, knock, knock!” on the door.
The door to Ruan Qing’s restroom stall... was being knocked.
The sudden knocking frightened Ruan Qing. He dropped the phone, making a loud noise.
“Hello? Xia Qing? Where are you now?” Qiao Nuo’s voice on the other end sounded urgent and somewhat subdued.
Trying to pick up the phone after hearing the voice, a hand reached in from under the restroom door and grabbed the phone before him.
The next second, the call was hung up.
Seeing the hand with bloodstains, Ruan Qing widened his eyes, his body uncontrollably trembling, his brain going blank in an instant.
Fear and terror instantly overwhelmed his mind, and tears quickly filled his eyes. Even the medication to suppress tears couldn’t control the flow. Tears rolled down his cheeks, moistening his long eyelashes.
The fear of the person inside the restroom was palpable to the figure outside. The figure’s lips curled into an eerie smile, so twisted that it almost reached the ears, giving an unsettling and chilling appearance.
That was a smile so unnatural that no human could ever display it.
After reaching the restroom, Ji Zhiyuan saw the young man beside him entering one of the restroom stalls. He stood guard outside the door.
To prevent any unexpected incidents.
After all, restrooms were considered a high-risk area for supernatural encounters. Even with a group of five, they couldn’t afford to be too careless.
However, what Ji Zhiyuan didn’t expect was that once the young man entered the restroom, he completely disappeared without a sound.
As if he had ceased to exist.
Ji Zhiyuan knocked on the restroom door, but there was no response from inside. Concerned, he forcefully pushed open the door, only to find it empty.
The young man had vanished right under his nose.
After spending the entire afternoon and evening together, the trust and reliance the young man had in him had deepened. It was inconceivable that the young man would leave on his own, and he certainly didn’t have the courage to do so.
Clearly, something supernatural was at play.
Ji Zhiyuan’s expression darkened; he remained vigilant, trying to locate the young man. He could sense that the person was still in the restroom but likely in a different space.
Seemed like a ghost wall...
(T/N: A “ghost wall” is a phenomenon where a supernatural force or spirit hinders or redirects someone’s path, causing them to become disoriented or lost. It might involve mystical barriers or illusions created by otherworldly entities to confuse or trap individuals.)
***
In the eerily quiet early morning, even the slightest sound seemed exceptionally loud.
However, as Ruan Qing entered a restroom stall, besides his own footsteps, there was no other sound.
The world fell into complete silence.
A silence so unnerving that it sent a chill down the spine, and the temperature in the air seemed to drop several degrees. It felt like impending danger was about to strike.
The cubicle that Ruan Qing chose was right next to Ji Zhiyuan’s, and it was not far from the other two players, so it couldn’t be this quiet.
There should be the sound of fabric rustling, but there was nothing. Not even the sound of clothes brushing against each other.
This wasn’t right.
Unless... he was no longer in the same space as the others.
Ruan Qing’s face turned pale instantly. He stiffly turned around, his gaze fixed on the door that hadn’t been locked, and his eyelashes trembled anxiously.
For a moment, he wasn’t sure whether to lock the door or dash out immediately.
Because he wasn’t certain whether the danger was coming from inside the restroom or outside.
If it was from inside, locking the door undoubtedly blocked his escape route.
Helplessly, Ruan Qing bit his lower lip, his body uncontrollably trembling slightly. However, he could only stand there, helpless and pitiful.
Suddenly, there was a faint sound from outside the restroom, sporadic and scattered. Something in the darkness was approaching.
It seemed like the sound of something dragging or the sound of water dripping onto the ground.
The sound seemed echoing, and at the same time, strangely close, causing an inexplicable tingling sensation on the scalp.
Moreover, the sound appeared very abruptly, nothing like someone walking in from outside the restroom. It seemed to manifest out of thin air in the restroom.
Or perhaps... it had been there from the beginning.
After hearing the sound outside the door, Ruan Qing’s heart sank. His hair stood on end instantly, and he shivered, silently locking the restroom door.
Then he took out his phone, intending to call Ji Zhiyuan for help.
They had exchanged phone numbers during their afternoon chat.
However... it wouldn’t connect.
Not only could he not make a call, but there was also no signal on his phone. He couldn’t even dial the emergency number.
Clearly, seeking help from the four players was impossible.
Ruan Qing’s body trembled slightly. His eye sockets turned red in an instant. Cold sweat started to bead on his forehead, and even his thoughts began to blur due to fear.
The strange footsteps and dripping sound had stopped. Instead, there was the sound of something rubbing against the floor, rustling.
It sounded like... the sound of someone dragging something on the ground.
It seemed extremely eerie, giving a bone-chilling feeling.
If it were daytime or working hours, the sound of janitors cleaning the restroom would be normal, but now it was 1 AM, and no one should be working at this hour.
It was obvious that the presence outside was not human.
Ruan Qing tightly clenched his slender fingers, almost pressing the fingertips into the palm, trying to use the pain to stimulate himself and stay calm.
The restroom had only one exit, and he couldn’t escape at all.
Moreover, as soon as he opened the restroom door, he would definitely collide with whatever was outside, and then there would be no way out.
Ruan Qing understood that fear typically stemmed from the unknown and a feeling of vulnerability. However, he knew well that physical attacks were entirely futile against such entities.
This effectively sealed off all his means of escape.
With his weak constitution, he couldn’t even run; he could only rely entirely on the props provided by the system.
Uneasily pursing his lips, Ruan Qing suppressed the fear in his heart, silently took a few steps back, and then stared at the door intently.
Almost instinctively, he held his breath, silently praying that Ji Zhiyuan and the others would discover his absence before whatever was outside the door did first.
However, the sounds outside the door grew increasingly closer, so close that they were right outside his... door.
Ruan Qing’s heartbeat almost stopped when the sound paused outside his door; his face turned even paler, almost devoid of color, and his slender body trembled slightly.
Even his brain and every cell in his body screamed at him to run.
He had been found.
Tears uncontrollably filled Ruan Qing’s eyes. Trembling, he took out his phone and, as a last-ditch effort, dialed Qiao Nuo’s number.
This time, the call unexpectedly went through, even though the no-signal indicator remained in the upper right corner.
As soon as the call connected, a knocking sound echoed, “Knock, knock, knock!” on the door.
The door to Ruan Qing’s restroom stall... was being knocked.
The sudden knocking frightened Ruan Qing. He dropped the phone, making a loud noise.
“Hello? Xia Qing? Where are you now?” Qiao Nuo’s voice on the other end sounded urgent and somewhat subdued.
Trying to pick up the phone after hearing the voice, a hand reached in from under the restroom door and grabbed the phone before him.
The next second, the call was hung up.
Seeing the hand with bloodstains, Ruan Qing widened his eyes, his body uncontrollably trembling, his brain going blank in an instant.
Fear and terror instantly overwhelmed his mind, and tears quickly filled his eyes. Even the medication to suppress tears couldn’t control the flow. Tears rolled down his cheeks, moistening his long eyelashes.
The fear of the person inside the restroom was palpable to the figure outside. The figure’s lips curled into an eerie smile, so twisted that it almost reached the ears, giving an unsettling and chilling appearance.
That was a smile so unnatural that no human could ever display it.
