Gu Mian knew the shadow hadn't fallen from the rooftop. He had looked around for a long time and couldn't see any bodies splattered to pieces from a jump. Of course, Gu Mian didn't particularly want to see what a splattered brain looked like anyway.

This area was quite open. The main entrance of the teaching building had long since been removed. Wind gusted through the gaping doorway, whistled out through equally empty window frames, and created a faint, scraping sound. Gu Mian switched on his flashlight, shining it on the building before him. It was pitch-black inside. The flashlight beam barely illuminated a small section; vast swathes remained stubbornly cloaked in a darkness the light could not pierce. Dark and silent, it felt like a pool of stagnant water, undisturbed for years.

Gu Mian adjusted the flashlight beam and stepped onto the stairs of the doorway.

However, just as he did, a loud THUD suddenly shattered the silence. It sounded like a cement bag, filled to bursting, had suddenly been thrown from the rooftop, slamming onto the ground with an enormous crash. The THUD seemed to explode right at Gu Mian's feet, as if whatever fell from the roof had landed there.

Hearing the noise, Gu Mian immediately whipped his head around to look at the ground beside him, even pulling his foot back slightly. It was dead silent a moment ago. That sudden racket is enough to scare someone to death!

He saw that the ground beside him was empty.

Gu Mian was sure he'd turned his head fast enough. If something had truly fallen, it couldn't have vanished in the instant he turned. Even with wings, it wouldn't have gotten far.

Could an invisible object have fallen?

He tentatively poked the ground beside him with his foot but felt nothing invisible.

Strange. Such a loud noise, yet nothing fell? Is this just to scare players, or is it a hint that there's something on the roof?

As he thought, Gu Mian looked up at the rooftop again. The sky was inky black, and no other colors could be discerned. The shadow that had seemed poised to jump was long gone from the edge of the roof. Only the wind scraped against the railing, causing the trash hanging there to rustle... or perhaps it wasn't trash.

This dilapidated school building was only three stories high, so Gu Mian had a clear view of the rooftop's decaying railing.

He averted his gaze. Falling from three stories might not be fatal, but isn't this railing a bit too shoddy? This is supposed to be a school, after all...

At this moment, Nine Lives, who was on the third floor, was also startled by the loud noise. He was blocking the classroom doorway, intending to drag out the person inside. But just as he took half a step, the tremendous noise erupted from behind him, making him jump and even let out a small, involuntary cry. The huddled, shivering figure inside the classroom was even more terrified. By the time Nine Lives composed himself, the person within was still whimpering faintly, the words "Don't catch me," or something similar, barely audible. It sounded like a middle-aged man.

After the loud noise, Nine Lives instinctively wanted to look back. The sound clearly indicated something had fallen from upstairs. Behind him was the corridor, with a large window set into the wall directly opposite him. If he turned to look out, he could see what was on the ground.

But Nine Lives immediately resisted the urge to look back.

There's an escaper right in front of me. To prevent any mishaps, I should catch him first before doing anything else...

With this thought, he didn't even turn his head, ignoring the sounds from outside and continued into the classroom.

But just as his first foot landed, another strange sound reached him. This time, Nine Lives couldn't ignore the sound. It came directly from the staircase at one end of the corridor. It sounded like someone walking on the stairs, and they were getting closer.

Who's coming up?

He hesitated, stopping to listen carefully to the sound. Just then, he suddenly realized the sound was very close; a few more steps and whoever it was would reach the third floor.

No, that's not right! Even though this is the third floor, in such a quiet environment, if someone were moving on the first-floor staircase, the sound would be audible. But this sound was already very close when it started; it definitely wasn't someone coming all the way up from the first floor! He remembered not having searched the second floor, so there might be players there. If a player on the second floor had been drawn out by the earlier noise and started climbing the stairs, that would be logical. But... if a player on the second floor was drawn out by the noise, they should have gone downstairs first to check what fell. They definitely wouldn't come upstairs! So, the one coming upstairs now... Who is it?

Nine Lives held his breath, straining his ears to listen to the sounds outside.

Just then, he suddenly discerned that the footsteps on the stairs weren't ascending, but descending.

Recognizing them as descending footsteps, Nine Lives let out a small sigh of relief. But before he could fully exhale, he frowned in the darkness, puzzled.

Descending footsteps... Did someone just go down from this floor? Was there someone else on this floor just now? No... Something feels very wrong. Going downstairs... Downstairs?

Suddenly, Nine Lives shuddered violently. No! If they're going downstairs... why do the footsteps sound like they're getting closer?!

Nine Lives' scalp tingled. Ignoring the other person in the classroom, he bolted for the door and sprinted frantically in the opposite direction of the sound, not even pausing to catch his breath.

The middle-aged male player hiding under the table clearly didn't want to die either. Seemingly realizing something, he scrambled out from the classroom after Nine Lives and fled in the same direction.

While escaping for his life, Nine Lives' mind was racing.

The teaching building is only three stories high, and this is the top floor. Hearing descending footsteps that are getting closer... means something is coming down from the rooftop! It's approaching the third floor! A heavy object falling from the roof, footsteps descending from the rooftop... Connecting these things... Damn it, is the ghost in this instance some kind of crazed killer? Nine Lives cursed inwardly as he sprinted.

He was fast. In no time, he'd outpaced the other player, who was clearly out of shape, and bounded down the stairs, rushing out of the teaching building.

The footsteps haven't caught up yet; they must be chasing that unlucky fellow I left behind.

Nine Lives breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to flee the school grounds, he suddenly realized something was amiss. The ground around him was completely empty. There was no gruesome, splattered body like he'd imagined.

Why? He had clearly heard that enormous THUD when something hit the ground... The sound of a fall, but no body. What was this implying? Was it a hint for players to pay attention to the rooftop?

As he pondered, he looked up at the rooftop. Along the railing, some cloth-like things seemed to be hanging, fluttering in the wind.

Those were unlikely to be useless. Should I go up to the rooftop to look for clues? But that ghost could return at any moment!

There was no time for further thought. The sounds of frantic escape from behind were drawing nearer; the player he'd left behind would be down soon, and that thing would follow!

Nine Lives gritted his teeth, dove into the densest nearby patch of bushes, and held his breath.

I'll take the gamble. Bet I can find some clues before that ghost returns. This is the best chance, especially since the other player is luring the ghost away...

He pressed himself tightly against the dirt, trying to let the bushes conceal him completely, keeping his head down and not daring to move a muscle.

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