Chapter 6: Stay Silent, There is a Specter Outside the Door

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Damn!

Baixuan’s heart jolted as she hastily prepared to flee.

But then a voice suddenly spoke from the shadows: “It’s me.”

Startled, Baixuan looked closely and realized it was Liu Tong crouching there.

Liu Tong made a shushing gesture and approached.

Baixuan eyed Liu Tong warily, testing him before finally believing it was truly him.

It turned out Liu Tong had followed the footsteps as well when the sounds appeared.

Upon noticing Baixuan’s door had opened, he had crouched beside the statue to observe.

Both Baixuan and Liu Tong breathed a sigh of relief. Liu Tong whispered in surprise, “You’re really brave, actually daring to come out after those footsteps.”

“In the diary, Annie heard the footsteps but only disappeared the next day, so she was probably fine the night she heard them,” Baixuan shared her thoughts.

A flicker of approval flashed in Liu Tong’s eyes.

What Baixuan said was exactly why he dared to follow the footsteps.

Tonight seemed perilous but was relatively safe.

After all, the diary clearly recorded Annie complaining to her companions the next day, meaning she survived at least until then.

Thus, the footsteps tonight were an opportunity.

If they let fear keep them holed up inside doing nothing, they might vanish just like Annie.

But what if both Liu Tong and Baixuan were wrong?

What if the footsteps killed them on the first night?

Well, then there was nothing to be done.

Once trapped in this eerie game, survival was never guaranteed.

Every move was a gamble.

They were betting on the method with the highest chance of survival.

At this moment, Liu Tong truly admired Baixuan’s courage.

Sometimes, even understanding the logic doesn’t mean one dares to act on it.

After all, stepping out from a safe bedroom into such a dark night required great resolve.

The two exchanged a glance and then looked toward the second floor.

The footsteps were still echoing endlessly above.

They held their breath, lightly grasping the wooden banister, and slowly ascended.

Tap... tap...

The sounds upstairs were faint, a bit like dripping water.

But as they drew nearer, the sounds became clearer.

They grew more alert.

The source of the noise was right above them.

Slowly, they reached the top of the stairs.

Then, peeking out, they looked down the dim corridor upstairs.

“That is...” Both Baixuan and Liu Tong’s pupils contracted sharply as they sucked in a cold breath.

The corridor was dark, with no lights.

Only a small window let in faint moonlight.

There stood a man, dressed in white pajamas, eyes closed, staring blankly.

Most bizarrely, his feet barely touched the floor, hopping like a grasshopper every so often, which explained the tapping sounds.

“Teacher Zhang Wen?” Liu Tong’s eyes flickered with surprise.

The one doing this strange act upstairs was the P.E. teacher, Zhang Wen.

“But why is he hopping facing the wall?” Baixuan asked, puzzled.

Zhang Wen was continuously hopping in front of a bare wall.

Then, under their astonished gaze, changes appeared on the wall.

Slowly, accompanied by an ancient aura, a wooden door materialized on the wall.

The door had no number and appeared out of thin air between rooms 202 and 203.

The door’s style clashed with the others.

While the other doors looked new, this one appeared aged, worn, and old.

Creak.

The ancient wooden door slowly opened halfway, as if moved by some unknown force.

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A cold, damp stench seeped from the gap.

The door seemed unopened for years, emitting a musty odor.

Then, accompanied by tapping sounds, Zhang Wen stepped inside.

At the same time, Baixuan noticed a notification in her mind about gaining eerie coins.

[+100 Eerie Coins...]

At first, Baixuan was stunned, but quickly realized she gained the coins because she had acquired crucial information.

Seeing Liu Tong smile at her, she understood he must have gained coins too.

This guy...

Baixuan narrowed her eyes at Liu Tong.

This official big brother wasn’t entirely withholding from the newcomers.

He held back some coins, probably to earn more later.

It was human nature; a stranger helping you without reservation would be strange.

“Looks like this suddenly appearing wooden door is the key to this scenario,” Liu Tong whispered.

Baixuan nodded, pondering whether to enter.

But then, both their expressions changed.

A terrifying premonition surged in their hearts.

Ssshhh...

Movement came from inside the half-open door, and the musty rotten smell intensified several times, going from faint distant odor to directly under their noses.

Run!

In perfect sync, Baixuan and Liu Tong dashed down the stairs.

They had gathered enough information.

They had reached the critical point.

If they pushed their luck any further, death was almost certain.

Step...

Not long after they fled, sounds returned from upstairs.

This time, the footsteps were heavier and mechanical.

It seemed they had been discovered...

The footsteps quickened.

Tap, tap, tap...

Baixuan had returned to her room and locked the door, sitting silently on the bed.

The footsteps descended the stairs and gradually grew louder...

Meaning they were approaching Baixuan’s room.

Tap, tap...

Seconds later, the footsteps stopped right outside her door, eerily clear.

The most terrifying part was that after the footsteps stopped, no other sound followed.

Baixuan tensed, holding her breath.

The footsteps came but didn’t leave.

It meant whatever was outside had stopped.

Now it stood motionless at her door.

Baixuan remained frozen, eyes fixed on the door...

After several minutes of stalemate, she grew curious.

What was the entity outside doing?

Why was it motionless?

Was it pretending to have left, waiting for her to come out?

She wasn’t that foolish.

Suddenly, she recalled a line from the girl’s diary.

[Don’t make a sound... don’t make a sound... Pretend no one is here... Pretend no one is here...]

Could it be that this entity needed to confirm if anyone was inside before killing?

Whew...

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Baixuan forced herself to slow her breathing, pretending no one was inside.

Half an hour passed.

Still no movement outside.

Baixuan wondered if the entity had indeed left.

Suddenly, her phone on the bed buzzed.

Vibrate! Vibrate! Vibrate!

Baixuan glanced at it, her heart skipping a beat.

Caller ID: Zhang Wen... Teacher Zhang.

More terrifyingly, the sound of a phone ringing came from outside her door.

Beep... beep... beep...

It was the sound of an outgoing call!

Clear and close, less than half a meter from the door.

Clearly, the entity stood outside, dialing Baixuan’s number!!

Buzz, buzz...

The bedroom and the door’s outside rang simultaneously.

Baixuan’s expression hardened; she said nothing, didn’t answer, and remained perfectly still.

Pretending the room was empty.

Buzz, buzz...

The phone rang for over ten seconds.

Then suddenly, the ringing stopped, replaced by a beep.

Hiss...

Baixuan turned her head to glance at the phone and felt her scalp crawl.

The screen now showed an active call.

00:01 00:02...

Damn! The entity had answered the call itself!

Baixuan stiffened, not daring to move.

She even held her breath.

From the other end, there was complete silence, chillingly quiet.

In this terrifying atmosphere, time ticked by second after second...

After a minute, the call ended automatically, and the footsteps slowly retreated.

Baixuan finally exhaled.

This entity’s ability to control a phone was unnerving.

Had she not controlled her emotions and made a sound, she probably would have been done for.

Weak—she was still too weak.

No secret gadgets, and the only hope, the Mario Coin House, only worked in the sewers, useless inside the house.

Baixuan stretched, preparing to lie down and rest.

But, ever cautious, she approached the door and peered through the peephole.

Outside was pitch black, no figures in sight.

She relaxed a little.

It seemed the entity had truly left; no need to be so careful anymore.

Suddenly, the clouds outside parted, and moonlight streamed in.

Baixuan was still at the door.

Through the peephole, her gaze inadvertently swept to the mirror in the hall.

Boom!

At that moment, blood rushed to her head, her body chilled, goosebumps bursting forth instantly.

In the mirror, a twisted shadow crouched in the blind spot beneath her peephole.

It stared with pale, malevolent eyes, one ear pressed tightly against the door, trying to hear inside...