Translator: CinderTL
They're gone! All of them!
How could this happen?!
Linghu Yong panicked instantly. Countless players had been killed by ghosts after getting separated during Supernatural events—he'd witnessed many such incidents, which was one of the reasons he chose to team up for this dungeon.
But he never expected...
As an experienced veteran, however, he maintained an extraordinary level of composure. "Don't panic," he said, forcing himself to take deep breaths. "Panic won't solve anything; it'll only make things worse."
After several deep breaths, he gradually calmed down and began analyzing the situation.
There was definitely a ghost, or at least some kind of anomaly.
But with so many of them, they couldn't all have been killed. Someone must still be alive. So... where were they now?
A thought struck him, and Linghu Yong immediately pulled out his phone. The time displayed was 2:15 AM—fifteen minutes past their agreed-upon meeting time.
Could they have split into two teams as planned, one to investigate the Feng Family Mansion and the other to search Crippled Liu's residence for clues?
That seemed the most logical explanation.
But a new question arose: Why hadn't they brought him along?
In other words, even if Zhao Xingguo had forgotten, wouldn't the others have noticed? And how could Zhao Xingguo possibly forget?
After a few seconds, Linghu Yong's expression shifted slightly. A terrifying thought suddenly struck him.
Yet, this thought perfectly explained his current predicament.
Zhao Xingguo hadn't forgotten him, and the others hadn't overlooked him either. Instead, he had been replaced by someone who looked exactly like him.
A Ghost!
Linghu Yong's head snapped up, his pupils trembling. It had to be a Ghost. The Ghost had somehow hidden him away and then disguised itself as him, infiltrating their ranks.
Damn it!
Realizing this, he immediately rushed to the gate. As he pulled it open, the scene outside startled him.
A thick fog had rolled in, obscuring everything. Visibility was barely a few meters. Beyond that, only vague outlines could be seen. But Linghu Yong didn't hesitate. After roughly orienting himself, he plunged into the fog.
Because of the poor visibility, his progress was slow and his steps hesitant. After a while, he realized this fog seemed different from ordinary mist.
He casually brushed the fog in front of him aside, and to his surprise, it rippled like liquid.
Something's wrong!
Everything's wrong!
He was heading toward Crippled Liu's residence, marked on Jiang Cheng's map in his memory. Based on his current speed and distance, he should have encountered a long corridor long ago.
Following that corridor would lead him to the general area where Crippled Liu lived.
Yet, after all this time, he hadn't seen a single corridor, not even a wall or a tree.
It felt like he'd entered a bizarre space—this was definitely not the Feng Family Mansion!
He stopped abruptly, unable to proceed.
The fog pressed in from all sides, suffocating him.
Tension and pressure surged through him. He gasped for breath, occasionally biting his nails—a habit when he was thinking. "It seems I've been caught in a supernatural event. That ghost did this, the one impersonating me. It doesn't want me to show up."
This was a simple question: once the Ghost appeared, its elaborate disguise would naturally fall apart.
Linghu Yong's thoughts drifted further, leading him to a crucial question: the Ghost's objective.
That's right, the Ghost's objective!
Why had it disguised itself as him?
Clearly, it was to kill someone.
But... who?
He hadn't died. This suggested the Ghost's target wasn't him; it had merely borrowed his identity.
Further thought: if the Ghost's target wasn't him, and he had disrupted its deception by presenting himself as a target, what would happen next?
He had foiled the Ghost's plan, and its scheme had failed. But what would follow?
Linghu Yong's eyes narrowed slightly. He realized the Ghost might now shift its focus to him, seeking revenge for ruining its plans.
Having reached this conclusion, Linghu Yong immediately stopped.
If his hypothesis was correct, then changing course and avoiding Zhao Xingguo's group in Jiang Cheng would prevent the Ghost from targeting him.
He could then escape the dense fog unscathed.
Without hesitation, Linghu Yong quickly oriented himself and changed direction, setting his new destination as the Feng Family Mansion, where another group was located.
As long as he stayed away from the Ghost, there might still be a chance.
The situation was unfolding exactly as he had predicted. After changing direction, he noticed the fog thinning noticeably, and his vision improved.
Most importantly, the inexplicable sense of unease that had been plaguing him gradually faded.
As the last wisp of fog dissipated, a solitary Western-style mansion emerged before him.
Several lamps outside the mansion still flickered feebly, casting a half-dead light.
He stood behind the mansion at an angle, giving him a clear view of a half-open window. The surroundings were eerily silent, devoid of people or any living creatures.
The initial relief of escaping the fog was instantly replaced by a fresh sense of danger.
"We can't stay here forever. Something's bound to happen sooner or later," Linghu Yong muttered, his gaze fixed on the half-open window. Suddenly, a flash of light flickered in his eyes as his vision sharpened.
Not far from the window stood a small tree, and in a prominent spot on its branches, a piece of clothing had been tied.
He didn't rush forward but observed from a distance. After careful examination, he recognized the garment as belonging to Pi Ruan, a member of their team.
This must be a signal.
He immediately realized that the previous group must have entered through this window, leaving the garment as a marker to guide those who followed.
This was easy to confirm. Even Linghu Yong wouldn't have used the main gate, which looked suspicious with several lamps lit outside while the Western-style mansion inside remained pitch-dark.
This was highly abnormal.
He successfully climbed through the window and followed the path taken by the previous group, quickly reaching the second floor.
He paused briefly at the same spot where the large red lanterns hung, but it wasn't just the lanterns' eerie presence that caught his attention. He heard a faint, ethereal song.
As he strained to discern the song's source, a figure suddenly flashed at the end of the corridor.
The figure moved too quickly for him to identify.
But he was certain it was one of his teammates.
Despite his doubts, he decided to follow. Retreating wasn't safe either. Just moments ago, he had heard sounds from downstairs, as if someone was moving about.
The footsteps were heavy, as if the person made no attempt to conceal their presence.
Even stranger, the intervals between each step were perfectly regular. He could even detect a stiff, lifeless quality in the sound.
(End of the Chapter)
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