Just need to reason with ghost

"I'm a server at the Restaurant!!" John yelled.

"Here, I'm in charge," the Ghost in the wall wasn't intimidated by threats.

"Damn it!" John cursed, pulling out the Bloodied Bone Mallet and smashing it hard against the wall.

The blood on the Bloodied Bone Mallet seemed to possess some kind of magic. With that strike, a dent formed in the wall, and a large amount of black blood oozed out.

A scream of agony echoed.

"Where did you get this Ghost Item from?" The Wall Ghost seemed extremely wary of the Bloodied Bone Mallet.

This blow made John realize that this Ghost wasn't high-ranking, nor was it particularly strong, so he sneered coldly, "You think I'd come to a place like this without some real power? Touch a single hair on me again, and see if I don't smash you to death, believe it or not?"

The Wall Ghost fell silent.

John knew it was frightened.

"Demon System: You have intimidated the Ghost in the wall, obtaining a Ghost Item—Human Bone Nail!"

Hearing the system's voice, John's demeanor became even more composed and fierce, "Answer my questions, and I won't mess with you."

"How many humans are in this building?"

It had been in the walls, surely knowing quite a bit.

"Yesterday, 20 came, 4 died."

"Have you seen a burly man wearing a headband?"

Karl was fond of basketball and often wore a headband on his forehead.

"The man in the red clothes?"

John's eyes lit up, "Yes, where is he?"

"He was responsible for cleaning the restrooms on this floor, but I think he's probably dead."

Before John could ask further, the Wall Ghost spoke first, "If you want to know why, go to the restroom at the end of the corridor."

John turned to see the abyss-like dark corridor, from which the Ghost aura dispersed, becoming clear.

John didn't rush off but took out the Human Bone Nail, hammering it fiercely into the wall with the Bloodied Bone Mallet.

Like a hot iron touching cheese, the Human Bone Nail was instantly driven into the wall.

Then came the wall Ghost's voice, filled with terror, "What are you doing?!"

"To prevent any tricks from you, I'll leave this nail here. If I can come back safely, I'll help you take it out," John said.

The Wall Ghost felt the Human Bone Nail acting inside it like an injection of poison, a mix of shock and terror.

"You damn vermin!!"

The angry voice echoed down the entire corridor.

John ignored its screams and shouts, walking towards the other end of the hallway.

There, he saw the restroom.

The door was deadlocked, and a strong Ghost aura emanated from inside, looking from afar like a gateway to hell!

Even from ten meters away, John felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, his body shivering with cold.

"What's with this restroom?" John wondered in surprise.

Creak!

Just then, a door nearby suddenly opened, and a pair of eyes stealthily peeked out.

John, with a reflexive grip on the Bloodied Bone Mallet, turned around ready to swing.

"Don't... don't hit me!!"

The shadow, terrified, quickly spoke up, trembling.

John recognized the figure, pausing in surprise, "Evelina?"

"Are you a cleaner?" Seeing Evelina, John wasn't much surprised. Many people who came here were his classmates; it was only a matter of time before they ran into each other.

"Yeah, I'm responsible for this room." Evelina, holding a broom, pointed at a shelf behind her, simultaneously watching the outside nervously.

It was a supply room, with shelves filled with boxes of various sizes, presumably for storing documents.

"Why are you hiding?" John was puzzled. As long as they wore their work uniforms and did their jobs, Ghosts wouldn't harm them, but Evelina seemed terrified.

"There are Ghosts in the hallway; they mess with us whenever we show up there."

Evelina explained that several people were harassed by the hallway Ghosts yesterday, ending up in a sorry state.

Even with work uniforms, the Ghosts' malice towards humans was significant. They wouldn't harm you, but they'd make things difficult at every turn.

John knew she was referring to the Wall Ghost and said, "Don't worry, I've dealt with it. It won't cause trouble anymore."

Regardless of whether she believed him, John asked, "Is Karl responsible for that restroom area?"

"Yes, he and I were in the same room, but he didn't come back last night. You saw that door with the black mist, right? He's been trapped in there since yesterday and hasn't come out."

"He seems to have offended the Ghost in the restroom, he might have already..." Evelina knew about John and Karl's relationship and didn't finish her sentence.

John's expression darkened, "Can we get in?"

"It's locked tight, the key is with that old lady in the hall."

As classmates, Evelina also wanted to help rescue Karl trapped in the restroom. However, the sight of the Ghost granny's blood-covered eye sockets deterred her from gathering the courage.

"Alright, thank you." John nodded.

Knowing John intended to retrieve the key, Evelina advised, "Karl has been in there for nearly 48 hours. The chances of him still being alive are slim. And Ghost granny is terrifying. If you anger her, you definitely won't be able to leave this building."

"It's fine. Ghosts are actually quite reasonable. Just need to reason with ghost."

"??? Reasonable?"

Evelina looked at John with a puzzled expression.

John waved his hand, ready to leave, "You go on with your work. I'll be off."

"Wait!"

Evelina stopped John, her expression a mix of pleading and terror.

"What's up?" John asked.

Evelina stepped aside, pointing at a messy shelf in the corner, "I've been unable to tidy this shelf. Every time I straighten it, it gets knocked over."

"Now it's almost time, and if Ghost granny sees I haven't cleaned up properly, I'm dead!" Evelina's eyes reddened with urgency.

She wasn't sure if John would help. Although they were classmates, John hadn't been to school for a year, and they had almost no interaction.

Besides, who would willingly provoke a Ghost?

"Can't put it back?"

John picked up a boxed roll of tape, placing it on the second shelf.

But the next second, the box was flung away.

At the same time, the entire shelf began to twist, emitting a sinister laugh.

A pair of hands stretched out from the shelf, grabbing the goods and throwing them around in chaos.

Clearly, Evelina was targeted by a Shelf Ghost.

As a human, she was powerless, crying in fear while continuously picking up and trying to place the items back.

However, after a full two hours, the place was still a mess, with the Shelf Ghost determined to torment her.

Evelina had been crying in despair for a long time before pleading with John for help.

The eerie laughter echoed in the room, filled with triumph.

John paused for a moment, then smiled, "This is easy to handle!"

He then took out the Bloodied Bone Mallet and Human Bone Nail, hammering down, driving the nail into the shelf!

White smoke hissed out, and the Ghost within the shelf screamed in agony, "Human, you dare stab me?"

The shelf shook violently, as if transforming into a gaping maw ready to devour John.

Without a word, John swung the mallet again, driving another nail in.

"I'll tear you apart!!"

Another hammer blow was John's response.

As copious amounts of black smoke billowed out, the shelf oozed a large amount of black blood and became indistinct.

Realizing it was facing a ruthless and taciturn human, the Shelf Ghost quickly pleaded for mercy, "Bro, stop hitting me, another hit and I'll be gone for good!"

Its voice trembled with fear.

The initial arrogance and aggression vanished without a trace.

Only then did John crack a slight smile, "See, if you had spoken like this from the start, things would have been much simpler. I'm actually quite easy to get along with."