From the start of the mission until now, the story had provided little background context. It wasn't until Jiang Xiaohui's suicide note was discovered that the tip of the iceberg began to reveal itself. The background story of this mission likely revolves entirely around Class 3 of Senior Year Three.
"So far, two characters have appeared in the story. One is Jiang Xiaohui, who turned into a ghost hiding in a desk after 'suicide'—a thieving ghost. The other is Xu Meiqian, mentioned in the suicide note. Unlike Jiang Xiaohui, who was ostracized by the whole class, Xu Meiqian is an excellent student academically, the kind who's usually popular in class."
"But this Xu Meiqian seems to have her own secrets. The note says she discovered Jiang Xiaohui's theft but didn't report him. Instead, she used it as leverage to 'force' him into a series of cruel acts. However, since the clues are very limited, we don't yet know exactly what Xu Meiqian forced Jiang Xiaohui to do."
"For now, though, we can set that aside. What matters is that we've obtained a ghost's student card."
"Using the student card to check in makes the student's name appear on the check-in machine, and then the ghost teacher marks them for pursuit. But what if this student card originally belonged to a ghost student?"
"So that means letting a ghost mark another ghost?" Lin Tianheng's face lit up with realization. "Chen Mo, I get what you're saying. Let the ghost teacher hunt down the ghost student—that way, it has nothing to do with the participants. That's the best way to complete the check-in."
"We'll have to test it to see if it works."
Su Mu appeared like a specter, her presence as ethereal as her voice. It seemed only in this state could she control the female ghost in the blood jade bracelet. But she was right—the earlier analysis was all speculation, ultimately requiring risk to verify.
"Let me do it. If it still triggers the mark, you won't be able to stop this ghost."
Lin Tianheng choked, feeling both annoyed and unconvinced. Among the participants of Team 7 in this group mission, no one rivaled Su Mu in dealing with ghostly entities.
The four returned to the first-floor lobby, spotting the check-in machine. Su Mu placed the student card on it, and a familiar voice echoed in her mind.
"I've received the prompt. After checking in, the student card indeed grants access to the principal's office. My sequence number is 1, and the password digit is 4."
Su Mu immediately shared the information she'd obtained.
Most importantly...
One minute, two minutes, three minutes—a full ten minutes passed with no paranormal activity or signs of ghostly pursuit. This meant Chen Mo's speculation was confirmed: using a ghost's student card for check-in did not trigger the ghost's mark!
"So the real path to survival in this story isn't to avoid ghosts, but to actively seek them out and find clues on them! Only by obtaining student cards from ghost students can we get the true clearance items for this mission."
"Not avoid ghosts, but actively seek them out? Chen Mo, is that your analysis?"
Su Mu frowned slightly. Though she didn't say it aloud, everyone knew: in paranormal missions, a wrong judgment could cost lives—and often more than one.
"But I trust you."
Chen Mo opened his mouth, about to share his guess about Class 3 of Senior Year Three, when suddenly a sound came from deep in the corridor, from somewhere unknown.
Rip, rip, rustle, rustle.
The ripping sound was like someone tearing pages from a book in the depths of the hallway.
Dai Minghan's face turned icy cold, and he let out a snort through his nose.
"Looks like we don't need to find the ghost—the ghost has found us."
Rip, rip, rustle, rustle.
The sound of tearing grew louder, eerily piercing in the silent school. Only Lin Tianheng, fearless by nature, remained unfazed and even chuckled.
"Me? I never liked reading either. This ghost is right up my alley."
As the tearing sound intensified, a black footprint suddenly appeared on the corridor floor, followed by another, slowly leading deeper into the hallway.
In any other situation, Chen Mo would have fled without hesitation. But now, he couldn't run. Instead, he widened his eyes, trying to catch any clues.
The desk-drawer ghost, the flashlight ghost... At least two types of ghosts existed in this school. But if his reasoning held, there should be other ghost students here, each offering hints about the student cards in various ways.
Only by obtaining a ghost student's card could one complete the check-in without triggering a killing spree!
Yet, as Su Mu said, this was all speculation. Though the desk-drawer ghost hadn't harmed the participants and had even let them take the card easily, how the remaining ghost students would appear, and what had truly happened in Class 3 of Senior Year Three—these unresolved mysteries were dangers that could strike at any moment.
Take the ghost before them now...
Despite his calm exterior, Chen Mo's palms were slick with sweat. The tearing sound, the black footprints, and the faint smell of scorching in the air all seemed part of the hints.
The desk-drawer ghost didn't kill participants, but that didn't mean others wouldn't. Was this ghost also one of the ghost students? If so, how could he get its student card?
A smile lingering on his lips, Lin Tianheng had somehow produced a gleaming dagger, his pupils brightening in the dark. He was ready.
The black footprints stretched onward along the corridor, the tearing sound growing clearer. After passing the hallway, they slowly climbed the stairs, one by one, charred footprints appearing on each step, as if an invisible ghost was leading the way.
Second floor, third floor, fourth floor.
The footprints stopped climbing, turned a corner into a dark hallway, and vanished before a door.
The small room had only one door, indicating it wasn't a classroom but a storage closet.
The tearing sound unmistakably came from inside this closet. Even through the door, Chen Mo could feel the cold, terrifying aura emanating from within.
What they were looking for was behind that door.
Inside the storage closet!